Over 500 Pounds of Prescription Drugs Collected at Police Event

Nearly 560 pounds of expired or unused prescription medications were collected in Prince William County on April 30th, as the Police Department participated in the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) “Take-Back” initiative. This national event was created to give people a way to properly dispose of expired prescription medications.

The Department, in conjunction with the DEA and Manassas Police, hosted collection sites at Potomac Mills Mall and Manassas Mall. First Sergeant Ruben Castilla, supervisor of the Department’s Crime Prevention Unit, said 187 pounds of prescription medications were collected at Potomac Mills, and 370 pounds were collected at Manassas Mall.

Prince William County Police Chief Charlie T. Deane thanked residents for properly disposing of expired or unused prescription medications. “It is significant that we were able to collect even more of these medicines than during the first initiative,” he said. “It’s as important to keep these medications from being abused or stolen as it is to properly dispose of them.”

Last September, more than 400 pounds of expired prescription drugs and other medicines were collected in Prince William County during the DEA’s “Take-Back” initiative.

This nationwide prescription drug “Take-Back” initiative seeks to prevent pill abuse and theft. According to the DEA, rates of prescription drug abuse in the United States are increasing at alarming rates, as are the number of accidental poisonings and overdoses due to these drugs. Studies show that a majority of abused prescription drugs are obtained from family and friends, including from the home medicine cabinet.