This Saturday, April 28th, is National Prescription Drug Take Back Day organized by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). The event runs from 10-a.m. until 2-p.m. at multiple locations, and offers you a great chance to safely dispose of your old and/or unwanted prescriptions. Medications that languish in home cabinets are highly susceptible to diversion, misuse and abuse. Rates of prescription drug abuse in the U-S are alarmingly high, as are the number of accidental poisonings and overdoes on easily obtainable drugs. According to the 2015 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 6.4 million Americans abused controlled prescription drugs. The study shows that a majority of abused prescription drugs were obtained from family and friends, often from the home medicine cabinet.

Authorities say you shouldn’t flush unused medications down the toilet, or throw them in the trash, as both pose potential safety and health hazards. Instead, bring them to a proper disposal site this Saturday, no questions asked. Sharps, such as needles, and inhalers, are not accepted. And, some sites are drive-up and drop off, while others may be located inside a police station, drug store or other approved site. Locally, that includes: in the lobby of the Atlantic Police Department in the City Hall building; The Shenandoah Police Dept.’s west side garage door entrance (400 W. Sheridan Ave.), and the Walgreens store in Council Bluffs (535 E. Broadway), where Bluffs Police will have a drive-through lane for you to hand over your meds.

To find the closet location near you, click here https://apps.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/NTBI/ntbi.do?_flowId=public-lite-flow . Last year, 11, 526 pounds of unwanted medications were disposed of during Drug Take Back Day.