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Press Release | April 1, 2022

SAFE Project and Athletico Physical Therapy Partner to Bring At-home Drug Disposal to Households Nationwide

The Gone for Good at-home medication disposal campaign aims to remove millions of unused drugs from medicine cabinets across the United States

MINNEAPOLIS – April 1,2022 – Today, SAFE Project, a national nonprofit dedicated to ending the addiction epidemic, and Athletico Physical Therapy announce they are partnering on the fifth Gone for Good® at-home medication disposal campaign to distribute the Deterra® Drug Deactivation and Disposal System free of charge to U.S. households this April.

The first Gone for Good campaign was launched in April 2020 to increase access to safe drug deactivation and disposal. The campaign aims to address challenges of excess drugs in our communities and the significant increase in deadly drug overdoses in the U.S. in recent years.

To date, 71,500 Deterra Pouches have been distributed through Gone for Good – enough to destroy nearly 6.5 million pills. Each campaign has surpassed its initial goal; to address this increasing demand, the April campaign has a goal to provide 30,000 pouches nationwide.

“Raising awareness about the importance of proper drug disposal is more important than ever– we lose 285 Americans per day to drug overdoses,” says SAFE Project cofounder Admiral James Winnefeld, who served as vice chairman of the Defense Department’s Joint Chiefs of Staff and was recently appointed to the Congressional Commission on Combating Synthetic Opioid Trafficking. “Cleaning out your medicine cabinet is a simple, practical way that people can make a real difference and prevent unused drugs from being misused, stolen or accidentally ingested.”

“Small actions can make a big impact on national issues like drug misuse. Our goal is to empower individuals and communities to make a difference with the simple act of proper drug disposal,” says Chris Throckmorton, CEO of Athletico Physical Therapy.

From April 1-30, individuals can request a free Deterra Pouch at DeterraSystem.com/SAFE and the pouch will be mailed directly to their home.*

Each pouch uses activated carbon to deactivate up to 90 pills, 12 ounces of liquid, or up to 12 patches. In a simple three-step process, a user deactivates the drugs by putting them in the Deterra Pouch, adding water, shaking, and simply throwing it away in the normal household trash. Plus, the plant-based pouch makes it safe to dispose of unused medications without harming the environment.

For more information about the Gone for Good campaign, visit DeterraSystem.com/SAFE and follow Deterra on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter.

*Only available in the U.S., excluding Alaska and Hawaii. Limit one pouch per household. While supplies last. Requested pouches will be delivered in May 2022.

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About SAFE Project

SAFE (Stop the Addiction Fatality Epidemic) Project is a national 501(c)3 nonprofit committed to overcoming the epidemic of addiction in the United States. Using a collaborative, multi-pronged and non-partisan approach, our key initiatives focus on SAFE Campuses, SAFE Communities, SAFE Veterans and SAFE Workplaces. They are fueled by SAFE Project’s six lines of operation: public awareness, full-spectrum prevention, prescriptions & medical response, law enforcement & criminal justice, treatment & recovery and family outreach & support. Thanks to the generosity of our donors and the support from our volunteers, SAFE turns hope into action through transformative programs, training, and technical assistance. For more information, visit safeproject.us.

About Athletico Physical Therapy

Athletico Physical Therapy provides the highest quality orthopedic rehabilitation services to communities, employers and athletes. With its recent acquisition of Pivot Health Solutions, the company has nearly 8,000 employees across more than 900 locations throughout 25 states and the District of Columbia. Athletico is committed to our patients and referring physicians through our patient-centric focus, positive work environment, attention to quality and high standard of care. Athletico measures patient outcomes and satisfaction and is dedicated to continuous improvement. Athletico was named #1 Workplace in Chicago, “Best Physical Therapy Practice in the Nation” by ADVANCE magazine, Top Workplace in the Nation and has been recognized as a leader in employee volunteering and charitable giving. Our services include physical and occupational/hand therapy, workers’ compensation, women’s health therapy, concussion management and athletic training. For more information, or to schedule a free assessment in clinic or now online with our virtual free assessments, visit www.athletico.com and follow us on Twitter at @athletico.

About Deterra and Verde Environmental Technologies, Inc.

Minneapolis-based Verde Environmental Technologies, Inc., is a privately owned company committed to developing research based scientifically proven solutions to reduce drug misuse and negative environmental impact. The patented Deterra® Drug Deactivation and Disposal System is powered by proprietary activated carbon, which deactivates drugs. Deterra is highly effective in adsorbing and firmly binding drugs, rendering them inert, unavailable for misuse and safe for the environment. Visit DeterraSystem.com to learn more.

Contact:

Lauren Peck Maccabee PR on behalf of Deterra System 612-294-3129

lauren@maccabee.com