National Prescription Drug Take Back Day is Saturday. Here is where to safely dispose of unwanted prescription drugs.

Law enforcement officials are encouraging residents to safely dispose of unused prescription drugs Saturday during National Prescription Drug Take Back Day. 

"Overdose deaths surpassed a record-high during the pandemic, and thousands of Louisiana families are mourning the loss of their loved ones," Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry said in a news release. "We can all do something to help reverse this tragic trend by participating in one of the many DEA events on Saturday." 

Louisiana saw 1,925 overdose deaths in 2020, 621 more than in 2019, according to numbers released by the National Center for Health Statistics. It marked a 47.6% increase from 2019.  

In Lafourche, overdose deaths increased from 17 in 2019 to 20 last year, the Coroner’s Office said. Terrebonne had 36 drug overdoses in 2019 and 46 in 2020. 

About 9.7 million people in the nation misused prescription pain relievers in 2019, according to the 2019 National Survey on Drug Use and Health. Around 4.9 million misused prescription stimulants and 5.9 million misused prescription tranquilizers or sedatives. 

'It's all over the place':Drug overdoses increase in Terrebonne, Lafourche and nationwide

Landry is also warning residents about the dangers of counterfeit drugs, which can be laced with fentanyl, a synthetic opioid 100 times more potent than morphine and 50 times more potent than heroin. 

"Prescription medicine should only be used under a doctor’s care, with a doctor’s prescription and filled by a legitimate pharmacy," Landry said. "And expired, unused and unwanted prescription drugs should be removed from our homes and safely disposed." 

Local drop-off locations 

Here are some of the year-round drop-off locations in Terrebonne and Lafourche parishes: 

• Houma Police Department, 500 Honduras St. 
• Thibodaux Police Department, 1309 Canal Blvd. 
• Drop boxes are available at three Lafourche Sheriff’s Office locations 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays: Administrative Office, 200 Canal Blvd., Thibodaux; Criminal Operations Center, 805 Crescent Ave., Lockport; and South Lafourche Substation, 102 W. 91st St., Cut Off. 
• Louisiana State Police Troop C also has a 24/7 prescription medication drop box at its headquarters, 4047 W. Park Ave. in Gray. 
• Though it is not open Saturdays, Terrebonne General Health System in Houma also has a permanent prescription drug receptacle in the lobby of the Medical Arts Building at 855 Belanger St. It can be accessed from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays.

For more about Take Back Day, visit takebackday.dea.gov.  

— Staff Writer Dan Copp can be reached at 448-7639 or at dan.copp@houmatoday.com. Follow him on Twitter @DanVCopp.