Caddo Sheriff Steve Prator and Shreveport Police Chief Willie Shaw announced today that their departments will join together to participate in the first-ever national "Take-Back" initiative for prescription medications to be held this weekend.

Local law enforcement agencies across the country will be working in co-operation with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) to set up collection sites for old, unwanted, and expired pharmaceutical controlled substances and other medications. Anyone with such medication is urged to dispose of it through this free, safe and anonymous program.

Locally, Caddo deputies and Shreveport police officers will be on hand to collect medications at Sheriff's Safety Town, located at 8910 Jewella Avenue in the west end of the Summer Grove parking lot, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Saturday, September 25.

Authorities will accept prescription and over-the-counter medications, such as tablets, capsules, and sealed liquids. All identifying information such as name, address, and prescription number should be removed. Intra-venous solutions, injectables, and needles will not be accepted.

This one-day effort is being coordinated by the DEA to bring national focus to the increase of pharmaceutical controlled substance abuse and theft. These drugs are a potential source of supply for illegal use and an unacceptable risk to public health and safety.

According to the DEA, many Americans are not aware that medicines that languish in home cabinets are highly susceptible to diversion, misuse and abuse. Prescription drug abuse in the United States is increasing at an alarming rate, as are the number of accidental poisonings and overdoses due to these drugs.

Studies show that a majority of abused prescription drugs are obtained from family and friends, including from the home medicine cabinet. In addition, many Americans do not know how to properly dispose of their unused medicine, often flushing them down the toilet or throwing them away – both potential safety and health hazards.

Collection sites in every local community can be found by going to www.dea.gov. This site will be continuously updated with new take-back locations.