Butler County District Attorney Richard Goldinger has implemented a prescription medication drop-off program as part of a statewide initiative.

Goldinger said in an interview that people’s misuse of prescription drugs is a problem in the county.

“We have seen an increase in the use of illegal prescription drugs,” he said.

Goldinger said that addiction leads to a worse habit. “It’s a gateway to heroin abuse,” he said.

The seven drop-off boxes are in the lobby of the Butler County Prison and six municipal police departments: Butler, Butler Township, Cranberry Township, Penn Township, Saxonburg and Slippery Rock.

“They had to be in a secure location,” Goldinger said.

The MedReturn program is part of Gov. Tom Corbett’s Healthy Pennsylvania plan. Butler is one of 29 participating counties.

According to a Pennsylvania District Attorneys Association press release, Corbett stated the initiative is an important step in alleviating the misuse of prescription drugs.

The initiative, which is funded by a $100,000 federal grant, is a partnership with the district attorneys association, the Pennsylvania Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs and the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency.

According to the news release, a 2010 national survey from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found one in five high school students have abused prescription drugs.