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With the DUMP Opioids Act law, Americans will have an easy, safe way to get unneeded prescription opioids off the street. . . . Louisiana communities struggling against this crisis now have a key tool to fight and prevent addiction—and that makes everyone safer.”

WASHINGTON – President Joe Biden today signed into law Sen. John Kennedy’s (R-La.) DUMP Opioids Act to allow everyone in a community to use drop boxes at VA medical centers to dispose of unused controlled substance prescription medications. The Senate unanimously passed Kennedy’s legislation in April, and the House of Representatives unanimously passed the bill earlier this week.

 “With the DUMP Opioids Act law, Americans will have an easy, safe way to get unneeded prescription opioids off the street. The pandemic has contributed to the opioid epidemic, and I’m thankful that President Biden and Congress came together to put this commonsense, compassionate law in place. Louisiana communities struggling against this crisis now have a key tool to fight and prevent addiction—and that makes everyone safer,” said Kennedy.

 Beginning in 2022, certain VA medical centers will be approved to have drop boxes that veterans can use every day to drop off unused medications, and the DUMP Opioids Act would make those drop boxes accessible to their entire communities. The bill instructs the VA Secretary to designate times that the public can dispose of prescriptions at the drop boxes and allows the secretary to carry out public information campaigns to highlight those times.

Kennedy spoke yesterday on the importance of the DUMP Opioids Act. That video is available here.

Text of the DUMP Opioids Act is available here.