Somewhere, prescription drug addicts were either crying, Thursday.

And if they weren’t crying, they were trying to determine where the DTF would store the more than 80 pounds of discarded prescription pills turned in during the Children’s Policy Council’s Take Back Prescription Pills event.

Consider how small a pill is and then think about that for a moment: 80 pounds; more than 1,280 ounces.

It’s not likely that any of the pills turned over in the “Take Back” event were handed over by abusers. But there’s a good chance that getting them out of the house and disposed of properly could prevent someone from becoming addicted.

Studies have shown that many teens become addicted because they have access to the pills in their homes. Hence the message on CPC billboards: “He gets his music online. He gets his drugs from his mother’s purse.”

Program director Kellie Holland said that unused prescription drugs can become an attractive nuisance for those who are addicted to them.

And the 80-pounds collected reminds all of us that we probably have more unused and expired prescription pills in our homes than we realize. The CPC plans to establish permanent drop-off locations from which the DTF can collect unused drugs.

Because studies also have found traces of flushed pills in the water supply, the DTF incinerated the pills collected on Thursday. Based on the success of this day, events also will be planned in Opp and Florala.