Crime & Safety
PWPD's Drug Take-back Program A Big Hit
The community is grateful to have a safe venue to return unwanted drugs, police say.
The report that it collected 112 pounds of prescription drugs on April 28, during its drug take-back initiative.
This kind of program is critical to public safety and public health, according to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency.
"A majority of participants expressed that they were grateful that they were able to dispose of their prescription medications responsibly," said PWPD Chief James Salerno. "This program aids the community in preventing pill misuse, abuse and potential theft from resident’s homes."
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According to the DEA, medications that "languish in home cabinets are highly susceptible to diversion, misuse, and abuse."
In addition, the DEA says prescription drug abuse in the United States in increasing at an "alarmingly high" rate.
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And according to the 2010 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, "more Americans currently abuse prescription drugs than the number of those using cocaine, hallucinogens, and heroin combined."
The DEA also reports that most prescrition drug abusers secure the medications from family and friends – and that includes home medicine cabinets.
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