Missouri, along with the rest of the nation, is in the middle of an opioid crisis. Opioid addiction can lead to crime, overdose, and possibly death.

But, there's something we can all do to help: get rid of our un-used medications. And making that easier, is what House Bill 1618 is all about. Rep. Jay Barnes (R-Jefferson City) is the sponsor. "Under current law, there is no easy and safe way to dispose of them. You don't want to flush them down the toilet because they get in the water supply. You certainly can't give them to anyone else."

Barnes says sometimes organizations have prescription drug take-back events, but those aren't frequent enough for him, "So, what do you do?"

What the law would do is create a take-back program in the state, allowing for drop-off boxes for un-used prescriptions at pharmacies approved by the Drug Enforcement Agency. Currently, local pharmacies can't take prescriptions they did not dispense. Barnes says, "What this does, is it takes opioids off the streets, makes them unavailable to people who would abuse them."

Pretty much everyone is on board. The House voted 147-4 in favor of the proposal. Barnes says, this is a no-brainer, "A lot of other states have this program. It works there. It'll work here."

That bill now heads to the Senate, where they have already passed a bill that would allow for a drug-take back program. But, the Senate Bill would also create limitations for prescribing opioids for people in the first place, and change vaccine protocols. So now, lawmakers just have to decide which bill they like better, and which they think has a better chance of passing.