In 2010, the Ellis County Drug Enforcement Unit took its first step in coordinating a safe prescription drug collection program by participating with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration's "Take-Back Day."

The unit's members have participated by manning a site once a year each year since 2010. Although the Take-Back event sponsored in Hays each year was always a success, with hundreds of pounds of pills, tablets, liquids, patches and capsules having been collected, it was only giving the general public one day each year to drop off unused or unwanted drugs. 

So, in May 2016, the DEU purchased a med return collection box and placed it inside the sheriffs office lobby for the public to use all year long. Anyone can anonymously drop off unwanted prescription and OTC drugs from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, excluding holidays. As of Dec. 10, over 2,000 pounds of unwanted drugs have been collected from the collection box.&nbsp;

In 2010, the Ellis County Drug Enforcement Unit took its first step in coordinating a safe prescription drug collection program by participating with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration's "Take-Back Day."The unit's members have participated by manning a site once a year each year since 2010. Although the Take-Back event sponsored in Hays each year was always a success, with hundreds of pounds of pills, tablets, liquids, patches and capsules having been collected, it was only giving the general public one day each year to drop off unused or unwanted drugs. So, in May 2016, the DEU purchased a med return collection box and placed it inside the sheriffs office lobby for the public to use all year long. Anyone can anonymously drop off unwanted prescription and OTC drugs from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, excluding holidays. As of Dec. 10, over 2,000 pounds of unwanted drugs have been collected from the collection box.&nbsp;News release

Collection box nets more than a ton of unwanted medication