Clean Out Your Medicine Cabinet This Weekend for Prescription Drug Take-Back Day

Sacramento County officials are again asking for residents to turn in their old and unused prescription drugs.

"Many Americans are not aware that medicines that languish in home cabinets are highly susceptible to diversion, misuse, and abuse," the Sacramento County Sheriff's Department said in a press release. "Rates of prescription drug abuse in the U.S. are increasing at alarming rates, as are the number of accidental poisonings and overdoses due to these drugs."

This weekend, the Sacramento County Sheriff's Department will offer four dropoff locations for National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day.

Residents can surrender capsules and tablets–but not intravenous solutions, injectables, needles or illegal drugs–for free and anonymously from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday at these locations:

• Sheriff's Department - Garfield Station, 5510 Garfield Ave.
• Sheriff's Department - Florin Station, 7000 65th St.
• Rancho Cordova Police Department - 2897 Kilgore Road
• Antelope High School - 7801 Titan Dr. 

A U.S. Department of Justice press release says nearly 100,000 pounds of drugs have been collected from northern California and Central Valley residents since the first such event in 2010.

“The abuse of prescription drugs is America’s fastest-growing drug problem, and too many people are dying or being seriously injured for the misuse of such drugs,” the release quoted United States Attorney Benjamin B. Wagner as saying. “Young people are particularly at risk. Since most people who abuse prescription drugs say that they get them from family members or friends, it is imperative that we all take steps to dispose of unwanted drugs.”