Local agencies are partnering with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration Saturday, October 23, from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. for National Prescription Drug Take Back Day. The event is designed to prevent drug abuse and environmental contamination by ridding homes of expired, unused and unwanted prescription drugs.

Unused prescription drugs that are thrown in the trash can be retrieved and abused or illegally sold. Unused drugs that are flushed or make their way to landfills contaminate the water supply. Proper disposal of unused drugs saves lives and protects the environment.

Returning unused or unwanted medications to a year-round disposal location or participating in a drug take-back day are both reliable methods for keeping these substances from entering the hands of others or the water supply.

Atchison County residents are encouraged to bring unwanted drugs to the following area locations for disposal:

• Fremont County Sheriff’s Office – 2814 200 Street, Sidney, Iowa

• Maryville Department of Public Safety – 101 N. Vine Street, Maryville, Missouri

Sites cannot accept liquids, needles or sharps, only pills or patches. The service is free and anonymous with no questions asked.

With funding from the USDA, the K-State Pollution Prevention Institute, or PPI, is offering education and outreach sessions to various communities in Kansas and Missouri with a focus on rural access to safe drug and sharps disposal. If your organization or community would like to learn more about safe disposal as a way to prevent drug abuse and keep toxic waste out of landfills, contact PPI by calling 800-578-8898.

For more information about proper disposal of prescription drugs or the take-back day event, visit http://www.sbeap.org/safe-disposal.