Police: National Take Back Day a success

Historic City News local reporters were updated by the St Augustine Police Department that local participation in the “National Take Back Day” is being judged “a success” — with officers collecting 49 pounds of unwanted pharmaceuticals.

Last Saturday, September 25th, citizens anonymously disposed of unwanted prescription medication at the police department.

Often, people unknowingly flush pills down the toilet or throw them away — each of those methods presents a potential safety and health hazard.

The St Augustine Police Department collaborated with the DEA in collecting potentially dangerous expired, unused, and unwanted prescription drugs in the “National Take Back Day” nationwide event.

Many of the citizens that turned over medications had kept them for years because they did not know how to properly dispose of them and did not want the drugs to end up in the “wrong hands” on the “streets”.

Citizens came with multiple boxes, duffle bags, and grocery bags filled with unneeded medication and turned it over knowing that the drugs would safely be destroyed.

Community Affairs Officer Barbara Stevens of the St. Augustine Police Department said that all drugs collected were turned over to the DEA for destruction.