Take-Back initiative nets 600+ pounds of unused medications

More than 600 pounds of expired or unused prescription medications were collected in Prince William County on Saturday, April 28, 2012, besting the previous collection by about 200 pounds, according to a news release from Prince William County Police. Last October, nearly 400 pounds of expired prescription drugs and other medications were collected in greater Prince William County.

The Crime Prevention Unit of the Prince William County Police Department, the City of Manassas Police Department, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Prince William Hospital, Heathcote Health Center, and Potomac Mills Mall participated in the DEA’s “Take Back” initiative.

The nationwide prescription drug “Take-Back” initiative seeks to prevent pill abuse and theft. According to the DEA, rates of prescription drug abuse in the United States are increasing at alarming rates, as are the number of accidental poisonings and overdoses due to these drugs. Studies show that a majority of abused prescription drugs are obtained from family and friends, including from the home medicine cabinet. For more information,  call the Crime Prevention Unit at 703-792-7270.