FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE May 1, 2012
U.S. ATTORNEY’S OFFICE AND U.S. DRUG ENFORCEMENT ADMINISTRATION ANNOUNCE PRESCRIPTION DRUG TAKE-BACK RESULTS FOR WEST VIRGINIA
Initiative Collects More Than 4700 Pounds of Unwanted Prescription Medications Statewide; Surpasses October 2011 Collection Effort Total
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – U.S. Attorney Booth Goodwin and U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Resident Agent in Charge Dennis Bolum jointly announced today that as a result of the April 28th Prescription Drug Take-Back event, a total of 4795 pounds of unwanted, unused and expired prescription drugs were collected from citizens and households across West Virginia. The April 28th collection results surpassed October 2011’s prescription drug collection total of 3,676 pounds following a similar Take-Back effort.
U.S. Attorney Goodwin said, “West Virginians understand how devastating prescription drug abuse is for our families and they have responded yet again in the most effective way citizens can: by ridding their medicine cabinets of unneeded and potentially dangerous narcotics.”
U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Resident Agent in Charge Dennis Bolum stated, “Prescription drug abuse has plagued so many of our communities and to have people voluntarily take prescriptions out of the homes and dispose of them properly, truly helps our fight against prescription drug abuse. I commend all of the federal, state and local partners in West Virginia for their assistance which has made this fourth Take-Back a success.”
The April Take-Back designated more than 100 sites throughout West Virginia, providing citizens with various locations to drop off expired, unused and unwanted medications.
The National Prescription Drug Take-Back held in April involved more than 5,100 sites nationwide in an effort to fight prescription drug abuse and theft.
A list of the collection site totals can be found by clicking here.
Listen to an audio clip from U.S. Attorney Booth Goodwin discussing the Take-Back results by clicking here.
