Takeback Nets Record Amount of Drugs in San Diego County

A record amount of expired or unneeded medications were turned in throughout the San Diego area during last weekend's fourth National Prescription Take Back Day, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration reported Thursday.

A total of 8,832.6 pounds of pharmaceuticals were left at 35 drop-off sites over a four-hour period on Saturday, according to the DEA. That figure is more than four times higher than the total amount collected in San Diego and Imperial counties combined during the previous Take Back Day, which took place in late October.

"This is the fourth time this nationwide event has been held, and, once again, we had a significant increase in the amount of pills that we took in this event compared to the last one," said William Sherman, acting special agent in charge of the DEA's San Diego-area office.

"This kind of participation shows that Southern Californians are motivated to make their homes safer for our youth," he said.

The event was conducted with cooperation from law enforcement agencies, military bases, hospitals, universities and businesses across the region.

Nationwide, a total of 276 tons of drugs were collected at 5,659 take- back sites available in all 50 states and U.S. territories during the fourth staging of the drug take-back campaign, the DEA reported.

-City News Service