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Drug take back event aims to limit opioid addiction

50 percent of people that misuse opioids get them from family members which is why it's important to dispose of pills properly.

Saturday the drug enforcement administration hosted its national take back day where people were encouraged to drop off their prescription drugs at various police stations.

In 2017 more people died from opioid overdose than from homicides in both St. Louis city and the county. That’s part of the reason organizers at the take back drive said fighting that problem could start in your medicine cabinet.

One group called Step up STL said this was music to their ears because they have a mission of preventing drug misuse in the community especially as it relates to teens.

50 percent of people that misuse opioids get them from family members which is why it’s important to dispose of pills properly.

Erin Kelley is the Executive Director for Step up STL and she said she’s familiar with drug use considering its directly affected some members of her family.

"Some currently have heroin addictions so this issue couldn't be any more important to my family. It’s just been really hard to watch them fall into this situation that can’t be fixed," Kelley said.

And their issues first started with their opioid addiction. Kelley said it's too easy for teens to get access to prescription drugs which can be a gateway for other drugs or even promote addiction.

“I just really want that to stop. I want us to get ahead of this problem and make sure we don't have these families that are being destroyed these lives that are being destroyed,” Kelley said.

That’s why she's educating teens about the dangers of opioids use and she hopes this drug take back can be a habit for many families to get rid of the prescription drugs in their homes.

"They're stealing them from medicine cabinets they’re just taking a few from their parents and that's where that real opioid addiction begins. It’s so important to me to make sure my kids don't have to deal with this and my kids don't have friends that are dealing with this," Kelley said.

Although Saturday was national take back day it's important to remember that police departments keep a drop box for prescription pills every day of the week. According to St. Louis County Police more than 300 pounds of prescription drugs were collected that will later be destroyed.

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