April 27 is Prescription Drug Take-Back Day in Marin

Police stations around Marin County will participate in the Drug Enforcement Administration's Prescription Drug Take-Back Day on April 27, giving the public a way to prevent pill abuse and theft by ridding their homes of potentially dangerous expired, unused and unwanted prescription pills.

The Marin County Sheriff’s Office and Marinwood Fire Department will accept pills for disposal at Marinwood Fire Department at 777 Miller Creek Road in San Rafael. Police stations in Novato, Tiburon, Mill Valley, Sausalito, the Twin Cities, Ross, Fairfax, San Anselmo and San Rafael will accept pills as well. The drop-off effort is from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The service is free and anonymous -- no questions asked. Please note that pills must be taken out of containers and placed in baggies for safe disposal.

In September 2012, Americans turned in 244 tons of prescription drugs at more than 5,200 sites operated by the DEA and its thousands of state and local law enforcement partners.

Take-Back Day addresses a vital public safety and public health issue. 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. Over the past decade there has been a 300 percent increase nationally in emergency room visits involving the non-medical use of narcotic pain relievers. Studies show that a majority of abused prescription drugs are obtained from family and friends, including 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 hazard to people and the environment.

Check this website for a complete list of locations where you can drop off unwanted medications throughout the year.