SACRAMENTO- On Saturday, September 26, 2015,  California Statewide Law Enforcement Association (CSLEA) Director and California Association of Food & Drug Investigators (CAFDI) President George Tiongson joined five CSLEA/CAFDI members who volunteered their time to staff collection sites for the 10th annual National Prescription Drug Take-Back event.

“Safe disposal sites were set up in communities across the country,” said CSLEA President Alan Barcelona.  “With prescription drug abuse on the rise, it is important to dispose of drugs that are not being used and are just sitting in homes where they can get into the wrong hands.  I thank our members and CSLEA Director Tiongson for donating their time to this DEA event, to see that these drugs were collected in a safe manner for disposal.”

Tiongson was joined by CSLEA/CAFDI members Christine Rodriguez and Mindy Perez at a collection site in the North Natomas (Sacramento County), Member Mario Velasquez assisted at a location in Greenhaven (Sacramento) and Members Kim Luong and Janny Lee helped out at the collection site in Castro Valley (Alameda County).

“It’s great that our members can participate in a collaborative manner with federal agencies,” said Tiongson.  “It’s also a great way to brand our California Food & Drug Department.”

Volunteers from the Food and Drug Branch collected 320 pounds of unwanted drugs at the three sites, 81 pounds in North Natomas, 51 pounds in Greenhaven and 103 pounds in Castro Valley.