Crime & Safety
Prescription Take-Back Day Nets 9,800 Pounds of Medicine
Unneeded or expired prescription drugs were collected at 39 locations in San Diego County, including the Lemon Grove Sheriff's station.
San Diego and Imperial county residents surrendered more than 9,800 pounds of unneeded prescription drugs Saturday as part of the Drug Enforcement Administration's sixth National Prescription Take-Back Day, authorities said today.
Over a four-hour period, 9,849 pounds of unneeded or expired prescription drugs were collected at 39 locations in San Diego County, including the Lemon Grove Sheriff's station, and three in Imperial County, authorities said.
At a similar take-back in September, 7,542 pounds of prescription drugs were collected in San Diego and Imperial counties, according to the DEA.
"An increase of over 2,000 pounds show that Southern Californians are motivated to make their homes safer for our youth," DEA San Diego Special Agent in Charge William R. Sherman said.
Permanent drop boxes were installed at more than 30 locations in San Diego County, including at the San Diego County Sheriff's Department, the San Diego Police Department, the Oceanside Police Department and the Chula Vista Police Department, according to Sherman.
Nationwide, 371 tons of prescription drugs were turned in Saturday, which was about 50 percent more than what was collected at the last take-back event, according to the DEA. More than 5,800 collection points were set up across the country.
DEA officials said more than 2.8 million pounds of prescription medication has been removed from circulation in the six take-back events combined.
