Nearly 560 pounds of expired or unused prescription medications were collected in Prince William County last Sunday as part of the Drug Enforcement Administration's "Take-Back" initiative.

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Collection sites were set up at Potomac Mills Mall and Manassas Mall. Prince William County Police Chief Charlie T. Deane thanked residents for properly disposing of expired or unused prescription medications. "It is significant that we were able to collect even more of these medicines than during the first initiative," he said. "It's as important to keep these medications from being abused or stolen as it is to properly dispose of them."

According to the DEA, rates of prescription drug abuse in the United States are increasing, as are the number of accidental poisonings and overdoses due to these drugs.

Studies show that a majority of abused prescription drugs are obtained from family and friends, including from the home medicine cabinet.