May 04, 2011
Contact: Jodie Underwood
Seattle Division
206 553-5443

At the DEA & Portland Police Bureau Mobile Command Collection Site in North Portland, a caretaker for an elderly woman dropped off Ziplock bagfuls of pills. While cleaning out a cabinet, she found hundreds of medications that the woman had been getting refilled and instead of taking them, was hiding them for about the past two years.	Got Drugs Banners displayed at collection sites throughout the Seattle Field Division.

SEATTLE. WA - Mark Thomas, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Seattle Field Division, announced that 24,053 pounds of medicine was collected in the four-state area of Washington, Oregon, Idaho and Alaska. These results were part of the second DEA nationwide prescription drug ‘Take-Back’ campaign that was held on Saturday, April 30, 2011, which provided residents the opportunity to dispose of unused, unwanted and expired medications.

DEA West Seattle drive-up collection site, with Intelligence Analyst Jan Vitale (L) and Accounting Technician Michelle Miller Pictured are drugs collected from three cars. DEA Badge Man and Washington Poison Center "Mr. Yuk"were on hand.	DEA, ADA County Sheriff's Office and Boise Police Department collection site at the Boise State Capital Steps.

The following are results in the four state areas: • Washington: 85 collection sites which resulted in the collection of 8,535 pounds of medicine. • Oregon: 62 collection sites which resulted in the collection of 9,515 pounds of medicine. • Idaho: 31 collection sites which resulted in the collection of 4,399 pounds of medicine. • Alaska: 25 collection sites which resulted in the collection of 1,604 pounds of medicine. “The success of this campaign is attributed to the responsible citizens that took the time to clean out their medicine cabinets," said Mark Thomas, DEA Acting Special Agent in Charge. "During a four hour period, we collected 24,053 lbs of prescription drugs from over 204 sites in the Pacific Northwest Area. The close cooperation of many state/local law enforcement agencies and community leaders has dramatically made our communities safer by reducing the availability of abused prescription drugs.”