Drug Take Back Day is Saturday in Milford

The Indiana State Police Peru Post is taking part in the nationwide initiative called Prescription Drug Take Back to collect and dispose of expired, unused and unwanted prescription drugs.

Since the first Take-Back event in Alabama, in September of 2010, the program continues to increase in the amount of drugs collected.

All medications turned in will be incinerated.

With no questions asked, authorities will accept pills and other solid forms of medication, but no syringes. Information for safe disposal of such material can be found by contacting the Mille Lacs Health Systems at (320) 532-3154.

28, the public is invited to safely dispose of their unwanted medications, both prescription and over-the-counter to Drug Take Back locations across the state.

Those who are unable to participate on Saturday can anonymously discard their prescription drugs at any MSP post from 8 a.m.to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday, excluding holidays. The majority of prescription-drug abusers report that they obtain their drugs from friends and family, including from the home medicine cabinet. Anyone with expired or unused prescription medications is encouraged to bring their medications to the collection sites.

During April's take-back event, federal, state, and local government entities took back a record 900,386 pounds of unused, expired, or unwanted drugs at nearly 5,500 collection locations across the country, including almost 14 tons of unwanted medications in ME alone.

Law enforcement agencies and interested community partners such as pharmacies, schools and civic groups are working together to provide as many local sites as possible throughout Alabama.

Rates of prescription drug abuse in the US are alarmingly high, as are the number of accidental poisonings and overdoses due to these drugs.