DETROIT – Getting drugs off the streets is always a priority for local, state, and federal law enforcement, along with health programs, but there’s one prize that every Detroit precinct secretly (and not-so-secretly) may dream of claiming.
It’s not a medal. It’s not a plaque. It’s a toilet. And it’s not just any toilet.
Behold: The Golden Throne Award.
It’s a shimmering toilet, proudly bestowed upon the precinct that collects the most expired, unwanted, or unused medications during the DEA’s Prescription Drug Take Back initiative.
While it may look like a prank from a hardware store clearance sale, the Golden Throne is a royally competitive symbol of community commitment, and yes, it even makes a flushing sound.
And for the very first time this year, the Detroit Police Department’s 7th Precinct didn’t just show up; they wiped the floor with everyone else, bringing in 145 pounds of pills.
Since the start of Detroit’s takeback effort, approximately 4.2 million pills have been collected.
The 7th precinct gathered the largest number they had seen since 2018.
That haul contributed to Detroit’s citywide total of 532.3 pounds, translating to 877,990 individual pills reclaimed.
“These unused and expired medications can easily fall into the wrong hands,” Dominick Braccio III, DEA Special Agent In Charge for the Detroit Field Division Strike Force, said. “Programs like this actively prevent addiction and protect the community.”
Braccio stressed the importance of community engagement and local and federal enforcement, describing a recent drug bust that resulted in nine federal search warrants across Michigan and other states, 33 kilos of meth, 4,000 fentanyl pills, and seven arrests, the kind of bust that highlights just how critical takeback efforts are in “cutting off the supply chain from both the medicine cabinet and the cartel.”
Martin Redd, with the DEA Detroit Field Division, said this is a reminder:
DON’T flush pills down the toilet. They end up in our water supply.
DON’T leave unused pills in the house or throw them in the trash. They can end up in the hands of someone they weren’t intended for.
DO put liquid medication in used kitty litter or used coffee grounds and then throw it away.
DO bring unused or expired prescription, over-the-counter, and veterinary pills to DEA Takeback Days, or click here for locations across the state.
Both CVS, Walgreens, and other pharmacies also offer safe medication disposal kiosks in Detroit and other cities in Michigan. Every Detroit police precinct also has a drug drop-off box.
And despite the porcelain prize, no one’s resting on their (toilet) seats. With the next National DEA Drug Take Back Day coming up on April 26, 2025, the city is already aiming higher, and there’s a new, familiar rivalry brewing: Michigan vs. Ohio.
“Ohio brings back the most pounds of pills,” Dr. Grenae Dudley, President and CEO of The Youth Coalition, said. “Our goal is to take out Ohio, and we’ll start right here in Detroit.”
