On Saturday, April 26 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. the Indiana State Police and the Drug Enforcement Administration will give the public its eighth opportunity in three years to prevent pill abuse and theft by ridding their homes of potentially dangerous expired, unused and unwanted prescription drugs. Bring your medications for disposal to any State Police Post statewide (except for the Toll Road Post) for this free and anonymous service, no questions asked.

The Indiana State Capitol Police will be taking part in the event from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Friday, April 25 on Robert Orr Drive between the North and South State Government Buildings.

The main Drug Take Back Event (Saturday) will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and will be one of the few days of the year where residents can drop off expired or unused prescription medications without having to wonder whether they will be accepted—even controlled substances, such as ADHD drugs are taken. This program will not accept new or used needles. The collection is intended for liquid and pill medications only.

Last fall, ISP collected 1,451 Pounds of drugs at the Oct. 26, 2013, Drug Take Back Event. On the same day, 324 tons of prescription drugs were taken in at over 5,683 sites operated by the DEA and its thousands of state and local law enforcement partners nationwide.

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 alarmingly 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. In addition, Americans are now advised that their usual methods for disposing of unused medicines — flushing them down the toilet or throwing them in the trash—both pose potential safety and health hazards.

Four days after the first event, Congress passed the Secure and Responsible Drug Disposal Act of 2010, which amends the Controlled Substances Act to allow an “ultimate user” of controlled substance medications to dispose of them by delivering them to entities authorized by the Attorney General to accept them.

The Act also allows the Attorney General to authorize long term care facilities to dispose of their residents’ controlled substances in certain instances. DEA is drafting regulations to implement the Act. Until new regulations are in place, law enforcement agencies like the Indiana State Police and the DEA will continue to hold prescription drug take-back events every few months.

To locate the Indiana State Police post closest to your home or business, click this link: http://www.in.gov/isp/2382.htm

To find other locations participating in the Drug Take Back initiative, use this link to the DEA: Website