From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, April 27, the Santa Barbara Police Department will be partnering with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration to hold another National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day.

This is an opportunity for those who have accumulated unwanted, unused prescription drugs to safely dispose of those medications.

Studies show that the majority of teens who abuse prescription drugs obtain them from family and friends for free, including from the home medicine cabinet.

Many citizens simply do not know how to properly dispose of their unused or expired medicine, often flushing it down the toilet or throwing it away. These methods can pose both safety and environmental hazards.

In the five previous Take-Back events the DEA, in conjunction with state, local and tribal law enforcement partners, collected more than 2 million pounds (1,018 tons) of prescription medications and removed them from circulation. During the last event in Santa Barbara, 18 garbage bags full of prescription medications were collected in four hours.

The collection location in the City of Santa Barbara will be at the La Cumbre Plaza Mall, 121 S. Hope Ave. Beat coordinator officer Jonathan Reyes will be there and will have collection boxes setup between Starbucks and the center court fountain for this free service.

Everyone is invited to stop by, to chat with Officer Reyes and to deposit unwanted medications for safe destruction.

— Sgt. Riley Harwood is a public information officer for the Santa Barbara Police Department.