HUDSON — As part of National Prescription Drug Take Back Day Oct. 27 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Lt. Kevin May and Sgt. Chris Roch of the Hudson Police Department will be at ACME Fresh Market, 116 W. Streetsboro Street, collecting unused or expired prescription drugs.



No liquids, needles, or sharps will be accepted. The service is free and anonymous, no questions asked. At the previous Take Back Event in April, Americans nationwide turned in more than 949,000 pounds of prescription drugs at more than 5,800 sites operated by the Drug Enforcement Agency and its law enforcement partners.



Medicines left 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 overdoses due to these drugs. Studies show that most abused prescription drugs are obtained from family and friends, often from the home medicine cabinet. In addition, the usual methods for disposing of unused medicines — flushing them down the toilet or throwing them in the trash — both pose potential environmental safety and health hazards.



For more information about the disposal of prescription drugs or about the Oct. 27 Take Back Day event, visit the DEA Diversion website at www.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/drug_disposal/takeback/index.html.