Ellis County citizens participated in the National Prescription Drug Take Back Event on Saturday, September 26, 2015. After cleaning out their medicine cabinets of expired and unused Prescription and Over-the-Counter medications, and dropping them off at one of the Prescription Drug Take Back Locations around the county for an environmentally safe and proper disposal.

This program is a partnership of the DEA, Ellis County Sheriff’s Office, Ellis County Constable Pct. 1, Ennis, Ferris, Italy, Midlothian, Palmer, Red Oak, and Waxahachie Police Departments, Ennis ISD PD, Waxahachie ISD, CVS, Wal-Mart, REACH Council, and IMPACT Communities.

Collections for the participating RX Take Back sites on September 26th were Ennis (238 lbs.), Ferris (7 lbs.), Italy (8 lbs.), Midlothian (201 lbs.), Palmer (35 lbs.), Red Oak (217 lbs.), and Waxahachie (221 lbs.) a total of 927 lbs. of expired and unused medications collected in Ellis County.

The Prescription Drug Take Back is part of a national effort by law enforcement and community coalitions to reduce the availability of unmonitored medications in home medicine cabinets. Each day, approximately 2,500 teens use prescription drugs to get high for the first time according to the Partnership for a Drug Free America. Studies show that a majority of abused prescription drugs are obtained from family and friends, as well as the home medicine cabinet.

Turning in medications to law enforcement officers is the best way to safely dispose of these potentially hazardous materials and keep them away from our youth. Please do not throw away or flush medications down a toilet, which results in contamination of our local water supplies and landfills.

Ellis County currently has one permanent drop box location at the Ellis County Constable Pct. 1 location at 207 S. Sonoma Trail in Ennis. You can take and drop off unused or expired prescription or over-the-counter medications Monday thru Friday during business hours. For more information or questions on the permanent drop site call 972-825-5325.

For more information regarding the Prescription Drug Take Back, please contact IMPACT Communities at telephone 972-937-1531 or email at [email protected].

IMPACT Communities is a coalition of community volunteers who work together to provide public education, law enforcement, and public policy strategies to prevent youth substance abuse and build safe, healthy and drug-free communities.