The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration on Saturday is sponsoring a nationwide prescription drug take-back event . Between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., anyone can turn in their expired or unwanted medications at thousands of police stations, pharmacies, and other sites across the country, including here in St. Louis. James Shroba is the Special Agent in Charge of the St. Louis Division of the DEA , a regional office that includes Missouri, southern Illinois, and four other Midwestern states. He said there is a direct link between prescription drug abuse and the use of illegal drugs like heroin. “First time drug users between the ages of 12 and 19 enter into that cycle of abuse by trying the legally-prescribed medications that are sitting in the medicine cabinet,” Shroba said. According to a survey by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, more than two-thirds of people abusing prescription drugs got them from a friend or family member. Those drugs include heavy-duty painkillers like
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