Drug Take Back Day set for Oct. 22

The Gonzales Police Department will participate in National Prescription Drug Take Back Day on Saturday October 22. The event will take from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Gonzales Police Department, 109 Fourth Street in Gonzales.

Drug Take Back Day seeks to eliminate prescription drug abuse and accidental poisoning by taking expired or unused prescription drugs out of circulation.

According to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency, non-medical use of prescription drugs ranks second to marijuana as the most common form of drug abuse in America, and the majority of teenagers who abuse prescription drugs get them from family, friends, and the home medicine cabinet.

In areas where a take-back program is not available, the DEA suggests people remove medication from their bottles, mix them with something unappealing like kitty litter or coffee grounds, seal them in a bag and throw them away.

Saturday’s event in Gonzales focuses exclusively on prescription drugs. Police are not accepting illegal substances or needles.