The Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) nationwide Drug Take Back Day addresses a crucial public safety and public health issue - misuse of prescription drugs.The Huntsville Police Department will be joining in the DEA’s effort to eliminate the abuse by collecting unused or expired prescription medication from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, April 28th, at Huntsville High School, 515 FM 2821.
Officers will be collecting and safely disposing of the medication in the front parking lot of the school. HPD Officer Ryann Kaaa-Bauer said citizens just need to drop off the medicine - there are no forms to fill out.
According to the 2015 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 6.4 million Americans abused controlled prescription drugs. The study shows that a majority of abused prescription drugs were obtained from family and friends, often from the home medicine cabinet.
The DEA’s Drug Take Back Day events provide an opportunity for Americans to prevent drug addiction and overdose deaths.
Too often, unused prescription drugs find their way into the wrong hands. Pharmaceutical drugs can be just as dangerous as street drugs when taken without a prescription or a doctor’s supervision, according to DEA. The non-medical use of prescription drugs ranks second only to marijuana as the most common form of drug abuse in America.
The Huntsville Police Department was one of 239 departments in Texas in 2017 participating in the nationwide program, with over 72,000 pounds of medication collected, according to the Drug Enforcement Administration.
For more information, contact Officer Kaaa-Bauer by calling 936-291-5493  or by email at rkaaa@HuntsvilleTX.gov.
Walker County EMS will also be onsite collecting sharps (needles) in a separate effort by local authorities.