Ellis County Sheriff

The Ellis County Drug Enforcement Unit collected 394 pounds of unused or unwanted prescription and over-the-counter medicine since the last event, most of which was surrendered on Saturday during the National Drug Take Back fall initiative.

Two sites were manned by officers from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

“We’d like to thank the community again for its overwhelming response to this initiative. Since the DEA first launched the Take Back program five years ago, the residents of Ellis County have turned out in droves to support it,” the sheriff’s office said in a news release. “This is the best way to keep drugs highly susceptible to misuse or abuse from getting into the wrong hands.”

The Drug Enforcement Unit plans to continue to give people a more environmentally responsible and secure way to dispose of medication. The sheriffs office will take medicine at the law enforcement center throughout the year during regular business hours.

The department, however, cannot accept aerosols, sharps containers or syringes.