Volunteers, Law Enforcement Collected 800 Pounds of Prescription Drugs

Law enforcement and volunteers collected 790 pounds of prescribed and over-the-counter medications in five local cities during National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day last weekend.

San Ramon-based and Mother's With a Purpose teamed up with police departments in San Ramon, Dublin, Pleasanton, Danville and Walnut Creek to collect the unused prescription drugs.

The Doughterty Valley San Ramon Rotary and Teen Council were also involved in the event. 

The take-back is a national effort spearheaded by the Drug Enforcement Agency. The goal of it is to toss out unneeded medication before anyone has a chance to abuse it.

"Keeping our medications locked up and getting rid of those we don't need is our best defense in keeping the children in our community safe from prescription drug abuse," said April Rovero, founder of the National Coalition of Prescription Drug Abuse.

Here's a rundown of how much was collected in each city:

Dublin: Six boxes, 82 pounds

Pleasanton: 18 boxes, 454 pounds

Danville: Three boxes, 73 pounds

San Ramon: Four boxes, 90 pounds

Walnut Creek: Four boxes, 91 pounds

The San Ramon Police Department has a prescription drug drop-off that's open every weekday year-round. It's at the Dougherty Valley Substation, 17011 Bollinger Canyon Road. Drop-off hours are 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.

"We hope that our community members will take advantage of the ongoing opportunity to drop off their unused and expired medications," added Rovero, .

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