Kent Police collect 304 pounds of unwanted prescription drugs

Published 11:26 am Tuesday, April 29, 2014

People dropped off 304 pounds of unwanted prescription drugs during a special collection day Saturday by the Kent Police.

The collection was part of the DEA National Prescription Drug Take Back Day.

“Thank you to all who dropped off all of your unwanted medications on Saturday,” the Kent Police posted on its Twitter account. “We collected 11 boxes for a total of 304.4 pounds. That is a huge step towards safe disposal and keeping medications out of the hands of those that misuse.”

Proper disposal of medications is key to preventing misuse and abuse, according to a Kent Police media release. Prescription drugs are the second most commonly abused narcotic.

While more than 2.1 million teens report abusing prescription drugs, the elderly are also vulnerable to prescription misuse as they are prescribed more medications than their younger counterparts.