Prescriptions by the pound

A recent cooperative effort by multiple local agencies resulted in the turning in of more than 300 pounds of prescription drugs.

Organized as part of a national Drug Take-back event, local agencies and organizations, including the Butte County Sheriff’s Office, the police departments of Chico, Oroville, and Gridley-Biggs, as well as local hospitals, acted as drop-off sites for unwanted or expired prescription drugs for safe disposal.

Part of the goal of the local event, which is sponsored by the Drug Enforcement Agency, is to prevent children, especially teens, from getting their hands on dangerous and addictive drugs.

“There was a good turn-out with a steady stream of people dropping off prescription drugs, including some of the most dangerous and abused drugs, such as OxyContin and vicodin,” Keith Krampitz, a retired commander of the Butte Interagency Narcotics Task Force (BINTF), said in a press release from the sheriff’s office.