It was the largest drug takeback event in the state, according to the Indiana Attorney General's office.

 

COLUMBUS, Ind.  (WDRB) -- A one-day drug take-back event in Columbus earlier this month netted the largest amount of prescription drugs ever hauled in by a single event in Indiana.

A news release from the office of Indiana Attorney General Curtis Hill touts that officials took back approximately 400 pounds of expired, unused and unwanted prescription drugs.

"The 400 pounds was a record amount for a single event and brings the total collected by the office this year to 1,463 pounds," the news release states.

The event took place at a Kroger store and was a joint effort by the Office of the Attorney General, the Indiana State Police, the Bartholomew County Sheriff's Office and the Columbus Police Department.

"Abuse of prescription medicine is a big part of our overall drug crisis," Hill said in a statement. "Across the United States, more than 6 million people abuse controlled prescription drugs. Here in Indiana, nearly 1 in 20 Hoosiers report having used opioid pain relievers for non-medical uses, and a majority of abused medication comes from family and friends of users. We're doing good work whenever we get these drugs out of people's medicine cabinets and properly discarded.”

 

LINK: http://www.wdrb.com/story/38655646/indiana-takes-in-record-amount-of-prescription-drugs-at-columbus-event