Local law enforcement agencies tally drugs taken out of circulation in Drug Take-Back Events

Hundreds of pound of prescription medication were turned into local law enforcement agencies last month.

The Drug Take-Back event on October 26th provided an opportunity for residents to clean out medicine cabinets and remove expired, unused, and unneeded prescription and over-the-counter pills that could otherwise end up in the wrong hands.

Here are the amounts of drugs collected by some local law enforcement agencies:

• Richland Police Department - 117 pounds
• Pasco Police Department - 97 pounds
• Kennewick Police Department - 373 pounds
• Walla Walla Police Department - 290 pounds
• Hermiston Police Department - 225 pounds

This was the first drug take-back event that allowed residents to drop off vaping pens.

Law enforcement officials say an estimated 75% of opioid misuse begins with people using medication that wasn't prescribed to them, usually taken from a friend or family member.

All the drugs were turned over the Drug Enforcement Agency for destruction.