Turn in Your Unwanted Prescription Drugs to Bloomfield Hills Police

Expired and unwanted prescription medications can be turned over for safe disposal at the Bloomfield Hills Department of Public Safety from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday.

The service is confidential, free and anonymous — no questions asked.

The event is part of national push called the National Take Back Initiative, which is aimed at preventing pill abuse and theft by ridding homes of potentially dangerous drugs. More than 7 million Americans abuse prescription drugs, according to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency. About 2,500 teens use prescription drugs each day to get high for the first time, the DEA said.

During the first nationwide take back program on Sept. 25, 2010, Americans turned in 121 tons of drugs at more than 7,000 sites around the country. A second event was April 25 and collected 188 tons of pills at nearly 5,400 sites, taking the total collected so far to 309 tons.

The event was organized after officials recognized the potential safety and health hazards of people flushing drugs down the toilet or throwing them away in the trash.

Four days after the first nationwide event, Congress passed the Secure and Responsible Drug Disposal Act of 2010, which allows a medication user to dispose of drugs by delivering them to entities authorized by the U.S. attorney general.

All Michigan State Police posts wil also participate in the day-long initiative.