MCALLEN – Illegal drugs flow in and out of the Rio Grande Valley, but for some, the real danger is sitting right inside medicine cabinets.  

A supervisor with the Palmer Drug Abuse Program in McAllen says drug addiction is becoming a major epidemic in the Valley.

"If we leave them in the cabinets and we do get injured again, we'll say, ‘Well, I got this there,’ and they're really taking something that they probably really don't need… So the best thing is get rid of them immediately," says program operations supervisor Joel Morales.

Morales believes the partnership between Google Maps, Walgreens and CVS will make it easier to find locations with medicine drop offs, which should have a significant impact on this issue.  

Walgreens spokesperson Phil Caruso says they’ve safely collected and disposed of more than 400 tons of unwanted medication.

KRGV’s John Paul Barajas explains the other items you cannot drop off include inhalers, hydrogen peroxide, or illegal drugs.

Watch the video above for the full story.