This Saturday, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration is sponsoring a nationwide prescription drug take-back event. Between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., anyone can turn in their expired or unwanted medications at thousands of police stations and pharmacies across the country, including here in in the Peoria area.
James Shroba directs the St. Louis Division of the DEA. He says there is a direct link between prescription drug abuse and the use of illegal drugs like heroin.
"Because first time drug users between the ages of 12 and 19 enter into that cycle of abuse by trying the legally-prescribed medications that are sitting in the medicine cabinet," says Shroba.
According to a survey by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, more than two-thirds of people abusing prescription drugs got them from a friend or family member.
You can find the location of drug collection sites on the DEA's website.