FRESNO (KMJ) — The federal government wants to reduce personal stockpiles of prescription drugs – in an effort to save lives here in the valley and across the nation.
The DEA have collected and destroyed 2,762 tons of prescription drugs over the last five years.
And on Saturday, they’re continuing the effort coordinating the ‘National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day’.
“It provides a way for people to dispose of unwanted or unneeded prescription medication, for free or anonymously”, says Assistant Special Agent Chris Hoover. “So this Saturday from 10am until 2pm, the DEA will hold the eleventh ‘National Prescription Take Back Day’.
DEA statistics for 2014 show that 129 per day are dying from drug overdoses, so they’re trying to ensure that prescription drugs remain out of harms way.
“What we know is, of the 129 people a day who die, 61% of those are involved in either prescription opioid drugs or heroin.
“Most of the people, particularly teenagers, who get these prescription medications and abuse them, get them for free from a family member or friend or from their own medicine cabinets”.
Collection sites will be placed right across the Central Valley on Saturday April 30th, and a link to find out where they are can be found clicking here.
