The state of Oklahoma continues to struggle through a substantial opioid epidemic. In 2021, Oklahoma reported approximately 681 fatal overdoses, 293 of which were from controlled prescriptions, and 1,063 nonfatal overdoses. In the first half of 2022, Oklahoma pharmacies dispensed 141,293,168 pills, of which 76,841,519 (54 percent) were opioids; the number of doses per person was trending at 100.

Oklahoma initially had in place 184 permanent drug kiosks across the state, and the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs Control (OBNDDC) possessed two waste compactors, which were housed in the Oklahoma City area. Discarded medication from kiosks in roughly 60 of the state’s 77 counties were transported to this location and loaded into the compactor, along with any drugs collected at take-back events. OBNDDC used Comprehensive Secure and Responsible Drug Disposal Program funds to transfer the secondary compactor to the Tulsa, Oklahoma, District Office location and to purchase a generator to provide electricity to the compactor. Relocation of the surplus compactor to the Tulsa area would allow for reduced trips to the disposal facility, which currently occur approximately every 8 weeks. OBNDDC also purchased 150 bags for the drug disposal kiosks and 15,000 drug disposal kits for at-home use and installed a new software widget on the bureau website to enable site visitors to locate the nearest disposal kiosk.