September 17th, 2015 by WCBC Radio

The Maryland State Police in partnership with the Drug Enforcement Administration are asking citizens to dispose of unwanted prescription drugs during the National Prescription Drug Take Back Day, September 26, 2015 from 10:00 am to 2:00 p.m. at all state police barracks. 

State police barracks throughout Maryland will be participating in the National Drug Take Back Day.  Each barrack will act as a collection station giving citizens an opportunity to dispose of all unwanted and unused prescription drugs.  The National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day aims to provide a safe, convenient, and responsible means of disposing of prescription drugs, while also educating the general public about the potential for abuse of medications.

Second only to marijuana, non-medical prescription drugs are the most commonly used drug in the country.  According to the Drug Enforcement Administration, majority of teenagers abusing prescription drugs are finding an unlimited supply in their family’s medicine cabinet. 

Locally during the last initiative in September 2014, troopers collected over 1,300 pounds of prescription drugs.  Nationally, 618,000 pounds (309 tons) of prescription medications were collected from members of the public.  When added to the collections from the previous Take-Back events, more than 4.8 million pounds (2,411 tons) of prescription medications have been removed from circulation.