374 Pounds of Prescription Drugs Turned in to Rancho Bernardo Clinic

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 Thursday.

Over a four-hour period, 9,849 pounds of unneeded or expired prescription drugs were collected at 39 locations in San Diego County and three in Imperial County, authorities said.

Locals turned in 374.4 pounds of drugs to the Scripps Rancho Bernardo Clinic, up from 321 pounds turned in during a similar event in September, Amy Roderick, a DEA spokeswoman, said in an email to Patch.

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.

-City News Service