Drug take-back is Saturday

Local law enforcement agencies will participate in the National Take-Back Initiative from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday during which people can drop off their unused, unwanted or expired medications at various locations in St. Mary Parish.
The St. Mary Parish Sheriff’s Office, Morgan City Police and Franklin Police Department will participate in the National Take-Back Initiative coordinated through the Drug Enforcement Administration, according to a news release.
Expired, unused, or unwanted medications may be brought to the Rite-Aid located at 1301 U.S. 90 in Bayou Vista, Walgreens located at 2030 Main Street in Franklin, Walgreens at 815 Brashear Ave. in Morgan City or the Walmart Neighborhood Market at 1002 La. 70 in Morgan City.
Unused medications in homes create a public health and safety concern, because they can be accidentally ingested, stolen, misused, and abused. The initiative gives the public an opportunity to prevent pill abuse and theft by ridding their home of potentially dangerous expired, unused and unwanted prescription pills.
Twice as many Americans regularly abuse prescription drugs than the number of those who regularly use heroin, cocaine, inhalants, and hallucinogens combined, according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s National Survey on Drug Use and Health, the release said.
The survey also found that the majority of those who abuse prescription drugs obtain them from friends or relatives. This includes raiding the family medicine cabinet, the news release stated.
The public may bring prescription medications for disposal to one of two sites hosted by the St. Mary Parish Sheriff’s Office. Syringes or injectables will not be accepted. This service is free and anonymous, no questions asked, the release said.
Franklin Police will accept unwanted/unused drugs at their station located on Second Street.
Though Berwick Police aren’t participating in the event, they always allow people to drop off their prescription drugs at the police department to be destroyed, Police Chief James Richard said.