NEW MEXICO (KRQE) – Twice a year, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) asks locals to turn over unneeded prescription drugs. The idea is to keep the drugs off the streets, and New Mexicans turned in a lot of drugs.
In New Mexico, locals disposed of 2,787 pounds of medication during the April Prescription Drug Take Back Day, the DEA says. West Texas turned over 2,144 pounds.
“Once again, the communities of West Texas and New Mexico answered our call,” Greg Millard, the special agent in charge of the DEA’s El Paso Division, said in a press release. “I can’t thank them enough.”
Across the nation, nearly 664,000 pounds of drugs were given to the DEA in April. Since the program began over a decade ago, the agency has collected more than 17 million pounds of unused drugs.
