State Officials Ask Patients To Turn In Unused Prescription Painkillers

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- State officials and law enforcement officers are trying to curb the abuse of prescription drugs.

Opioids have killed more than 2,700 Minnesotans in the last 15 years. The majority of those deaths occurred in the past five years.

This Saturday is National Prescription Drug Takeback Day. Over 100 law enforcement agencies across the state will be taking prescription drugs off the hands of people who want to ensure they're disposed of properly.

"The best way to get prescription drugs from being diverted from people for whom they're not prescribed is to get rid of them, get them out of the house, get them out of your medicine cabinet," Minnesota Attorney General Lori Swanson said. "It's important to lock them up when you have them, but when you're done with them, take them, get rid of them."

A list of drop off locations accepting the painkillers can be found online.

For more information, visit Dose of Reality online.