Multiple drug take back sites open Saturday part of the DEA's national Drug Take Back Day
The Brief
Multiple drug take back sites were open on Saturday as part of the DEA's national Drug Take Back Day.
Last year, nationwide, they collected more than 1.3 million pounds of unused medications.
The effort is part of the US Drug Enforcement Agency's National Prescription Drug Take Back Day hosted twice a year in April and October.
TAMPA - Something as simple as cleaning out your medicine cabinet can sometimes be all it takes to save lives.
"A lot of folks go under the impression that, jeez, I've paid for this medication. I don't want to throw it out in case I need it at some point in time," Hillsborough Recovery Coalition Board Member Joe Wiesen said.
However, sometimes that medication, especially narcotics, can end up in the wrong hands unintentionally.
"Nobody wants to be that person who feeds the addiction of somebody else, so if you have somebody in your home that's going to pilfer through your drawers or your medicine cabinet, it could be a friend of a friend or a relative of a relative, and maybe they do have an addiction issue, you don't want to be the person that kind of feeds that," Wiesen said.
It's why local organizations like the Hillsborough Recovery Coalition and the Hillsborough County Anti-Drug Alliance opened multiple drug take back locations Saturday, including this one here at Tampa Police Headquarters which is one of several drop off sites across the Bay.
When it comes to the drug crisis, fentanyl is the biggest problem.
"Just a little bit can kill a person, and it's really sad because unknowingly people take it. People wouldn't take it if they knew what it was and what it would do," Hillsborough County Anti-Drug Alliance Board Member Teresa Miller said.
What they're saying
The effort is part of the US Drug Enforcement Agency's National Prescription Drug Take Back Day hosted twice a year in April and October. Last year, nationwide, they collected more than 1.3 million pounds of unused medications.
While the collections are helpful, organizers hope it shines a brighter light on the need for more access and options for treatment for addicts.
"We're moving in the right direction, but we need dollars, we need support, we back up. Let's take the shame out of this," Wiesen said.
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The Source
Information for this story was gathered by FOX 13's Jordan Bowen.
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