In another effort to keep expired or unwanted drugs out of the wrong hands and especially the water system (when people flush them down the toilet), the Drug Enforcement Administration has scheduled another National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, April 28.

This is a great opportunity for those who missed the previous events, or who have subsequently accumulated unwanted, unused prescription drugs, to safely dispose of those medications.

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Drug disposal boxes have been available at all of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s substations throughout the county, including the station at 23740 W. Magic Mountain Parkway near the intersection of Valencia Boulevard. The safe disposal program at the county was launched in January 2010 and has been a success ever since. Read about that launch here.

Americans that participated in the DEA’s third National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day on October 29, 2011, turned in more than 377,086 pounds (188.5 tons) of unwanted or expired medications for safe and proper disposal at the 5,327 take-back sites that were available in all 50 states and U.S. territories. When the results of the three prior Take-Back Days are combined, the DEA, and its state, local, and tribal law-enforcement and community partners have removed 995,185 pounds (498.5 tons) of medication from circulation in the past 13 months.

“The amount of prescription drugs turned in by the American public during the past three Take-Back Day events speaks volumes about the need to develop a convenient way to rid homes of unwanted or expired prescription drugs,” said DEA Administrator Michele M. Leonhart. “DEA remains hard at work to establish just such a drug disposal process, and will continue to offer take-back opportunities until the proper regulations are in place.”

“With the continued support and hard work of our more than 3,945 state, local, and tribal law enforcement and community partners, these three events have dramatically reduced the risk of prescription drug diversion and abuse, and increased awareness of this critical public health issue,” said Leonhart.