646 pounds of prescription drugs collected in one day by Travis County constables

AUSTIN, Texas - Travis County constables, in partnership with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), collected hundreds of pounds of prescription drugs during National Prescription Drug Take Back Day.

646 pounds of expired, unused, or unwanted prescription drugs were collected as part of the event on April 23. During the October 2022 event, 597 pounds were collected.

The semiannual event allows residents to safely dispose of unwanted medication from their homes, which helps prevent medication misuse and reduces the risk of opioid addiction, says the county.

Last year, the Travis County Commissioners Court declared a public health crisis to address opioid overdose deaths in Travis County after seeing a sharp rise.

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There are also 11,000 authorized collectors available year-round across the country to collect and dispose of unwanted prescription drugs, including the five Travis County Constable Precincts. 

Precinct offices are open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and they have permanent collection boxes in their lobbies, says the county.

For more information, visit DEA’s year-round collection site locator or Travis County’s Prescription Takeback website.