SALT LAKE CITY — The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration has collected nearly 50,000 pounds of unused and unwanted prescription medications so far this year at drop off locations across Utah and three other Rocky Mountain states.
The agency's goal is keeping the medications out of the hands of potential first time users and, more importantly, out of the hands of people already dealing with addiction.
Among those who support the effort is Andy Torgersen, a now recovering addict who understands the risk firsthand.
"If I had an opportunity I absolutely did!" Torgersen said of his drug use. "I was at a point where I was comfortable being like; I will use even if it kills me then that's fine."
Torgersen's main substance to abuse was alcohol. But if anxiety or pain meds were available from a family member's medicine cabinet, he'd take them.
"Certainly in my state, it was someone that was just looking to get whatever he could get a hold of," explained Torgersen. "But there are plenty of people who might not be in active addiction, they could just be curious."
Torgersen has been in recovery for several years, and now helps others struggling with addiction at Utah Support Advocates for Recovery Awareness (USARA), which is a big supporter of the DEA drug take back events.
"It's been incredibly effective at getting prescription drugs off the streets and out of medicine cabinets," said USARA executive director Evan Done.
Twice a year for three decades, the Drug Enforcement Administration sponsors the prescription drug take back events. It's collected hundreds of thousands of pounds of pills, medications that likely would have just sat inside homes and available to be abused.
"So just having them away from your home, getting them out of reach from someone who might be at risk, makes a huge difference in preventing that person's eventual return to substance abuse," Done shared.
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