(WFRV) – Wisconsin has defended its title and was ranked number one nationwide for the most prescription medications collected during the fall 2023 Drug Take Back.

Announced by the Wisconsin Department of Justice on Thursday, Wisconsin collected 53,122 pounds of unwanted medication this fall.

“Because of collaboration among many partners around the state and the commitment of Wisconsinites to helping to keep their communities safe, we continue to lead the nation in drug take back,” said Attorney General Josh Kaul. “Thank you to everyone who participated this fall in Drug Take Back Day.”

Officials with the Department of Justice say that Wisconsin has collected a total of 1,202,039 pounds of unwanted medications since Drug Take Back began in 2010 under the leadership of the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).

Wisconsin ranks third in the nation for the most medications since its inception, falling only behind Texas with 1,379,669 pounds collected and California with 1,372,261.

Nationwide, officials say that since the inception, 17,900,351 pounds of unwanted medications have been collected during Drug Take Back events.

The DEA leads two Drug Take Back days a year, one in the spring and one in the fall.