EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) — The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and local law enforcement partners have collected over 670,000 pounds of “unused medications” nationwide during the National Prescription Drug Take Back Day.
The El Paso Division collected 2,086 pounds in West Texas and in New Mexico, they collected 4,622 pounds, according to a press release sent by the DEA.
“Once again, the communities we serve answered the call by bringing us their unneeded, unwanted, or expired medications. By doing so, our communities are now safer and healthier,” said special agent in charge of the DEA’s El Paso Division Towanda R. Thorne-James.
National Prescription Drug Take Back Day in Las Cruces. Photo courtesy to the DEA.
According to Data by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), a majority of people who use prescription medication for nonmedical purposes obtained the medication from a family member or friend.
Since 2010, the DEA has partnered with over 4,600 local law enforcement partners to remove over 18.6 million pounds of unneeded medication from communities across the nation, according to the press release.
Read: Read More