Area residents turned in 41 pounds of prescription drugs on Saturday during the local Drug Take Back Day at the Freeborn County Fairgrounds.

The goal of the event, coordinated by the Albert Lea Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Agency, is to remove potentially dangerous drugs from homes in the area, according to a news release.

The 2009 National Survey on Drug Use and Health states there are an estimated 7 million people in the country who use prescription drugs for non-medical purposes.

This means more Americans are abusing prescription drugs than the number of cocaine, heroin and hallucinogen abusers combined, according to the survey.