By Jason KUROSU

Saturday marked the fourth nationwide Drug Take Back Day, an event which prompts regular citizens to bring in their unused and/or expired medications to certain drop off sites. From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., members of the DEA, as well as various law enforcement agencies and the Crescenta Valley Drug and Alcohol Prevention Coalition worked the drop off sites, helping people clear out their medicine cabinets of drugs that can be potentially abused.

CVDAPC Vice President Susan Dubin was at three of the sites throughout the day, in Montrose, La Crescenta and Tujunga.

“I think it went well,” Dubin said. “We did a great job expanding our footprint from last year.”

CVDAPC member and Glendale police officer Joe Allen helped coordinate with law enforcement while the Coalition helped secure sites for drop offs. The Sheriff’s station normally has an anonymous drop off box for drugs, but the take back day has proved a successful effort for spreading the word and the turnouts have been substantial. According to the DEA’s website, “When the results of the three prior Take-Back Days are combined, the DEA, and its state, local, and tribal law-enforcement and community partners have removed 995,185 pounds (498.5 tons) of medication from circulation in the past 13 months.”

Although exact numbers have not been released at this time, Joe Allen noted that “several hundred pounds were collected throughout all the drop off sites in the Glendale and Crescenta Valley areas.”

Afterwards, the DEA took the drugs to a confidential location where they were weighed and subsequently incinerated.

“I felt this was a great success,” said Allen. “The message continues to spread through the community about eliminating the misuse and abuse of these prescription medications.”

  DANNY GOLDSWORTHY, Jason Kurosu