Police Take Aim at Prescription Drug Abuse

The will begin a drive later this month to collect unused prescription drugs from residents in an effort to keep them out of the hands of children and drug abusers.

The collection will be held on Oct. 29 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the .

The drive, which is a joint operation with the Drug Enforcement Agency, is free and anonymous. When last conducted in April at more than 5,000 locations across the country, the DEA collected about 188 tons of unused prescription drugs, according to a news release from Monrovia PD.

"This initiative addresses a vital public safety and public health issue.  Medicines that languish in home cabinets are highly susceptible to diversion, misuse, and abuse," the release reads. "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."

The majority of prescription drugs used illegally are obtained from family or friends, according to the department. The department urges people not to try and dispose of unused drugs themselves.

"...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," the release reads.