SANTA MONICA, CA — Residents looking to clear out their medicine cabinets can safely dispose of unwanted or expired prescription drugs Saturday, Oct. 24, when the Santa Monica Police Department joins a nationwide effort to prevent medication misuse and accidental poisoning.
The department is partnering with the Drug Enforcement Administration for the 31st National Prescription Drug Take Back Day, offering free, anonymous medication disposal from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the city's Public Safety Facility, 333 Olympic Drive.
The event gives residents an opportunity to dispose of medications they no longer need, rather than leaving them in household medicine cabinets where they could be accidentally ingested or misused.
According to the DEA, collection sites will accept tablets, capsules, patches and other prescription medications. Liquid medications, including cough syrup, must remain securely sealed in their original containers, with caps tightened to prevent leaks. Syringes, needles and other sharps will not be accepted, nor will illicit drugs.
The nationwide initiative, held twice annually, is intended to reduce the availability of unused prescription medications that could otherwise be misused or accidentally consumed, particularly by children.
Since the program began in 2010, Americans have turned in more than 21 million pounds of unwanted medications, according to the DEA's latest collection figures. During the April 2026 event alone, collection sites gathered 642,410 pounds of medication nationwide.
The DEA said more than 4,400 collection sites are expected to participate in Saturday's event, working with more than 4,300 law enforcement partners.
Residents unable to attend the Santa Monica collection can find other participating locations through the DEA's National Prescription Drug Take Back Day website. The agency also maintains a network of more than 15,300 pharmacies, hospitals and other locations offering year-round medication disposal.
Santa Monica's collection event will take place Saturday, Oct. 24, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Public Safety Facility, 333 Olympic Drive.
Sign up for free local newsletters and alerts for the
Santa Monica Patch
Patch.com is the nationwide leader in hyperlocal news.
Visit Patch.com to find your town today.