Kosciusko, Whitley and Marshall counties are among those taking part in the National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day this Saturday.

Over 5,600 collection sites will be established across the country this year as part of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s initiative to prevent drug abuse. Prescription medications (no liquids or needles) can be dropped off at the following locations free of charge and anonymously, no questions asked, at the following local locations from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.:

• Kosciusko County Sheriff’s Department, parking lot at 221 W. Main St., Warsaw
• Whitley County Fire Department, 117 N. State St., South Whitley
• Columbia City Fire Department, 112 S. Chauncy St., Columbia City
• Fulton County Jail, 815 Madison St., Rochester
• Indiana State Police Bremen Post, 1425 Miami Trl., Bremen
• Bremen CVS parking lot, 1150 W. Plymouth St., Bremen
• Marshall County Sheriff’s Department, 1400 Pioneer Dr., Plymouth

The public has embraced the opportunity these Take-Back Day events provide to prevent pill abuse and theft by ridding their homes of potentially dangerous expired, unused, or unwanted prescription drugs.  Last October, Americans turned in 324 tons (over 647,000 pounds) of prescription drugs. Since DEA’s first event in September of 2010, the public has surrendered over 3.4 million pounds of pills.

Drop boxes are also available year-round at the Kosciusko County Sheriff’s Department, Warsaw Police Department lobby, Syracuse Police Department, Milford Police Department, Mentone Police Department and at the Pierceton Town Hall lobby.

Unused medications in homes create a public health and safety concern because they are highly susceptible to accidental ingestion, theft, misuse and abuse. Almost twice as many Americans (6.8 million) currently abuse prescription drugs than the number of those using cocaine, hallucinogens, heroin and inhalants combined, according to the 2012 National Survey on Drug Use and Health.

More Americans died in 2010 from overdoses of prescription medications (22,134, including 16,651 from narcotic painkillers) than from motor vehicle accidents, says the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Surveys of users have found that the majority of abused prescription drugs are obtained from family and friends, including from the home medicine cabinet.