(WXYZ) — Saturday is National Prescription Drug Take Back Day!
A day used to provide safe and convenient disposal of prescription drugs.
In Michigan, there are hundreds of locations where residents can take unwanted prescription medications to. And in 2021, the DEA said they collected nearly 23,000 pounds of unwanted prescription pills just in Michigan.
The national day aims at controlling the opioid epidemic that is sweeping through the nation.
The latest data from 2021 shows that from January to October there were at least 2,260 opioid overdose deaths in Michigan.
"The opioid epidemic crosses all boundaries. It affects every walk of life," Dearborn Police Officer Dan Bartok said. "It has impacted our community we've seen some overdoses due to it."
According to the national library of medicine, 70% of opioids prescribed for surgery go unused.
Those pills either end up in medicine cabinets or drawers making them accessible to many families for potential abuse.
Because of that, the Dearborn Police Department has trained their officers in Narcan use just in case they have to save a life.
In the Michigan State Legislature, a bipartisan House bill was presented to help combat this problem.
One part will create an opioid advisory commission to help combat and prevent opioid overdoses and the other part will help set up a fund to help those with addiction issues.
According to the federal government, 275 people die from overdoses a day.
