BURNET — With abuse of prescription drugs exploding, national and local officials are giving the public a way to dispose of unused pills and other medicine during Take-Back Day Oct. 29.
"What we've seen in the last couple of years is a large increase in the number of people abusing prescription medicine," said Burnet County Sheriff's Office Capt. Dwight Hardin. "The (Drug Enforcement Administration) started the program in an attempt to curtail some of the availability of prescription drugs."
From 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Oct. 29, people can drop off unwanted and unused prescription drugs at the Burnet County Courthouse, 220 S. Pierce St. in Burnet; the Walmart parking lot, 2700 U.S. 281 in Marble Falls; and the Bertram Police Department, 163 W. Vaughn St. in Bertram
Atkins Pharmacy in Marble Falls is also accepting non-used and old prescriptions at both locations, 701 Third St. and 2607 U.S. 281.
Officials said no questions are asked when the prescriptions are dropped off.
"Prescription drug abuse and misuse are at epidemic levels in America," said Gregory Thrash, resident agent in charge of the DEA Austin office. "The non-medical uses of pharmaceutical drugs has become the second favored drug of choice for Americans, next to marijuana."
Police in Marble Falls also are seeing more cases of prescription-drug abuse, Police Chief Mark Whitacre said not long ago.
According to a National Survey on Drug Use and Health, more Americans abuse prescription drugs than cocaine, hallucinogens, methamphetamine and heroin combined.
"One of the problems with prescription drugs is how accessible they are," Hardin said. "A lot of people who abuse them get them from their parents' or grandparents medicine cabinet."
Hardin said people often keep their prescription drugs simply because they don't know how to properly dispose of them.
"This program gives the public a place to take those drugs and get rid of them," he said.
One of the fastest growing segments of the population abusing prescription drugs is children and teens, police said.
For a complete list of drop-off sites in the greater-Austin area, go to www.dea.gov.
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