LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — People across the state and across America cleared out their medicine cabinets on Saturday for the 19th annual National Prescription Drug Take Back Day.
It's a nationwide effort organized by the Drug Enforcement Administration to rid homes of medicines that are no longer needed. This helps to keep them from getting lost, stolen, or misused.
Kentucky State Police posts, as well as many police and fire departments across the state, collected across Kentucky.
The DEA conducted a drive-thru collection in Lexington.
"I believe in the past we've gotten over, I believe, a thousand pounds, if I'm correct. Through this location and through the ongoing yearly collection through Lexington P.D. and Fayette County. It's roughly about what they receive here," said Brendan Fitzpatrick with the DEA.
While it's too early to count the results from this year's event, the program helped collect more than 441 tons of unneeded prescription medicine in 2019.
