[StBernard] Drug Take-Back Day will be held April 26 at St. Bernard Sheriff's Office sub-station

[Westley Annis]

Drug Take-Back Day will be held April 26 at St. Bernard Sheriff's Office
sub-station

St. Bernard Sheriff James Pohlmann is urging people not to let their unused
prescription medications such as pain-killer pills fall into the wrong
hands. Instead, turn them in to the Sheriff's Office sub-station at 5429
Paris Road April 26 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. as part of National Drug
Take-Back Day.

It will be the fifth year for the highly successful program aimed at ridding
unused or no longer needed drugs from medicine chests so no one else finds
them and uses them or sells them on the streets.

"Don't let young people get hooked on pills they find while visiting you,''
Pohlmann said, and "don't throw medication in the garbage where it can be
found or down the toilet where it can end up affecting wildlife or seafood
in marshes.''

Pohlmann said, "Instead, bring any medication you don't use to us so it can
be destroyed properly.''

The Take-Back Day is held in conjunction with the U.S. Drug Enforcement
Administration and State Police efforts.

However, the Sheriff's Office was doing it first in the New Orleans area,
under former Sheriff Jack Stephens.

More than 81 pounds of drugs were collected six months ago in the last Drug
Take-Back Day, held in the parking lot of the Walgreens at Judge Perez and
Paris Road.

But the upcoming one will be at the sheriff's sub-station where sheriff's
narcotics agents will be there to receive drugs from the public.

The effort is important, Pohlmann said, because studies show young people
often abuse prescription drugs after stealing them from medicine chests at
the homes of relatives or at parents of friends.

Residents are reminded they can also call the sheriff's 271-DOPE hot line
(271-3673) at any time they want to turn in prescription drugs between
official drug take-back days. A Narcotics Unit agent will call them back to
make arrangements.

They should also call the sheriff's 271-DOPE hot line anonymously at any
time to report suspected illegal drug activity. All calls will be acted
upon.

The information in this article and picture were provided by the St. Bernard
Sheriff's Office Director of Public Information Steve Cannizaro