A prescription drug collection sponsored by the Drug Enforcement Administration and local police departments across the country last month is being deemed a success.

The DEA’s “Take-Back” initiative on April 30th netted old prescription medications for proper disposal. In Connecticut, over 67-hundred pounds of old medication was collected at 68 return sites. Regionwide, more than 38-thousand-pounds were collected throughout the six New England states. Nationwide, over 376-thousand-pounds of unwanted prescription meds were collected.

Officials say the purpose of the collection is to prevent the old medication from falling into the hands of children. Another reason is to prevent them from ending up in the water and ecosystems. Once collected, the medications are incinerated.