Caddo Parish residents can dispose of unwanted and unused prescription drugs during a Drug Take Back event from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. this Saturday, October 26. The event will be held at Sheriff’s Safety Town, 8910 Jewella Avenue.

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

Last fall nearly 469 tons of prescription drugs were turned in at nearly 6,300 sites operated by the DEA and its state and local law enforcement partners. Overall, in its 17 previous Take Back events, more than 11.8 million pounds—approximately 5,900 tons—of pills have been turned in.

This initiative addresses a vital public safety and public health issue, said Caddo Sheriff Steve Prator. Medicines that languish in home cabinets are highly susceptible to diversion, misuse and abuse. Rates of prescription drug abuse in the United States are alarmingly high, as are the number of accidental poisonings and overdoses due to these drugs.

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s National Survey on Drug Use and Health shows year after year that the majority of misused and abused prescription drugs are obtained from family and friends, including someone else’s medication being stolen from the home medicine cabinet. In addition, Americans are now advised that their usual methods for disposing of unused medicines—flushing them down the toilet or throwing them in the trash—both pose potential safety and health hazards.

For more information about the Take Back Day event, go to www.DEATakeBack.com or contact the Caddo Sheriff’s Office at 698-7233.