DEA Hosting National Prescription Drug Take Back Day Saturday

The 13th National Prescription Drug Take Back Day is this Saturday, April 29 from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m.

On this day, law enforcement strongly encourages residents to turn in unused, unwanted or expired medications to one of several drug disposal locations where law enforcement officials will gather and safely dispose of these medications.

Nationally, the Drug Enforcement Agency and its partners collected over 366 tons of prescription drugs at almost 5,200 sites last year.

In Maryland, there will be 90 sites where medications will be collected.

CLICK HERE for a list of the National Prescription Drug Take Back Day in Maryland.

DEA Agent Todd Edwards says the program is designed to stop opioid abuse among teens and young adults who often take the medications of relatives, and that often leads to a heroin addiction.

The following items may be dropped off during the event: prescription and over-the-counter medications, medical samples, pet medications, and medicated ointments and lotions. Participants may dispose of their medication in its original container and are strongly encouraged to remove any identifying information from the prescription label.

Edwards says there are a lot of police stations, including those in Baltimore City that have collection boxes in their lobby, so that drugs can be collected 24 hours a day.

Edwards says the drugs collected on Saturday, are collected, sealed and taken to an incinerator, where they are destroyed.

Listen to WBAL's Anne Kramer's interview with DEA Agent Todd Edwards: