Arlington Police, DEA Partner for Prescription Drug Take-Back Day on Saturday

The Arlington County Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Agency will be accepting old or unwanted drugs at select sites across the county from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday as part of National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day.

Organizers bill the event as an opportunity to prevent pill abuse and to rid your home of potentially dangerous expired, unused or unwanted prescription drugs. The service is free and anonymous, no questions asked, according to a news release.

Collection sites in Arlington:

• Fire Station No. 1, 500 S. Glebe Road
• Fire Station No. 8, 4845 Lee Highway
• Fire Station No. 9, 1900 S. Walter Reed Drive
• Pentagon Parking Lot, 551 Army Navy Drive, between Fern and Eads streets

According to a news release, "This initiative addresses a vital public safety and public health issue.  Medicines that languish in home cabinets are highly susceptible to diversion, misuse, and abuse. Rates of prescription drug abuse in the U.S. are high, as are the number of accidental poisonings and overdoses due to these drugs.  Studies show that a majority of abused prescription drugs are obtained from family and friends, including from the home medicine cabinet."

The Arlington County Department of Environmental Services asks residents who are unable to participate in this weekend's event to throw their old medicines in the trash.

The department suggests removing the medicines from their container, melting the pills with water and then disposing of them with "unattractive" substances like coffee grounds or kitty litter. County trash is incinerated.

For more from the county on the safe disposal of medicines, click here.