DEA, police collecting old, unused drugs

Published 1:50 pm Wednesday, April 20, 2011

The Drug Enforcement Administration says flushing old or unwanted prescription drugs down the toilet may pose safety and health hazards.

The DEA plans to partner with six South Mississippi agencies to hold prescription drug take-backs at seven locations Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Participating agencies include police departments in Bay St. Louis, Biloxi, Gulfport, Pascagoula and Pass Christian, and the Stone County Sheriff’s Department.

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Joel Reece, assistant special agent in charge of the DEA’s Mississippi division, said prescription drugs left in medicine cabinets can easily be misused by family or friends, resulting in drug abuse, accidental poisonings and overdoses.