DEA Collects Prescription Drugs

Drug Enforcement Administration officials say prescription drug abuse is a growing problem.

Less than a month into the DEA “Take-Back” campaign, more than 3,400 sites, including some in the borderland, have joined the nationwide effort to safely dispose of unwanted prescription drugs.

Government and community partners set up sites throughout El Paso from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday.

Officials collected expired, unused and unwanted prescription drugs – no questions asked.

This one-day effort was intended to bring national focus to the issue of increasing pharmaceutical controlled substance abuse.

“Pharmaceutical drug abuse is on the rise and the number one place where people are getting those pharmaceuticals are our own medicine cabinets,” said DEA special agent Diana Apodaca.

Agents collected about 750 pounds of pharmaceuticals in the borderland Saturday.

Apodaca explained the turnout shows there’s a clear need for this kind of event in our area.