31 October 2023
GREAT BEND, Kan. (KSNW) — The Barton County Sheriff’s Office says over 200 pounds of unwanted or unused prescription drugs were collected during their annual Drug Takeback event.
Deputies were joined by the Barton County Health Department and volunteers from the Youth Justice Authority, who handed out information and helped keep a tally of the amount of prescription drugs collected. National Drug Take Back takes place every April and every October and is sponsored by the Drug Enforcement Agency.
The Drug Take Back event was created to help reduce drug abuse by preventing unused or leftover medications, especially narcotics, from making it into the wrong hands, winding up in landfills, or being flushed down toilets where they can end up in waterways and food and water supplies.
The sheriff’s office delivered the drugs to the Wichita DEA office Monday. Barton County says since they began participating, they have collected over a ton and a half of prescription drugs.
According to the DEA, since the program started, law enforcement agencies across the county have collected over 17 million pounds of prescription drugs. In Kansas, nearly 250,000 pounds have been collected as of April’s drug Take Back.
If you missed your local Drug Take Back day, there are several locations where your unused medication can be disposed of year-round. To search for a location near you, click here.
For more information about National Drug Take Back Day, click here.