HARRISBURG, Pa. – The Pennsylvania State Police will accept unwanted, expired and unused prescription drugs Saturday, April 30, as part of National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day. The service is free and anonymous, no questions asked.

Take-Back Day is a national initiative, conducted in partnership with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), aimed at encouraging the public to dispose of expired, unused or unwanted prescription drugs that are prone to abuse and theft.

From 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM, unwanted prescription medications may be dropped off at select state police stations. No personal information is required for drop-off. To find a drop-off location, click here.

Pennsylvanians can turn in unwanted, expired and unused prescription drugs any day of the year. Visit the Department of Drug and Alcohol’s Drug Take-back website here to find a location near you.

The National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day aims to provide a safe, secure, and environmentally responsible means of disposing of prescription drugs, while also educating the general public about the potential for abuse and trafficking of medications. This is important because the non-medical use of controlled substance (CS) medications is at an all-time high, with 6.8 million Americans reporting having abused prescription drugs in 2012, according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) released in 2013. That same study revealed more than 54 percent of people who abuse prescription pain relievers got them through friends or relatives, a statistic that includes raiding the family medicine cabinet.

“It helps protect the environment and keep drug reside out of water supply and to keep unused meds out of the hands of people.” said Betsy Springer, RPh at Med-Fast Pharmacy “People should take advantage of this free disposal service.”

Last September, Americans turned in 350 tons (over 702,000 pounds) of prescription drugs at more than 5,000 sites operated by the DEA and more than 3,800 of its state and local law enforcement partners. Overall, in its 10 previous Take Back events, DEA and its partners have taken in over 5.5 million pounds—more than 2,750 tons—of pills.

For more information about the Pennsylvania State Police, visit www.psp.pa.gov.