The Black Diamond Police Department and the  Drug Enforcement Administration will give the public another opportunity to rid their homes of potentially dangerous expired, unused, and unwanted prescription drugs.

Medications intended for disposal can be taken to the Black Diamond Police Department, 25510 Lawson St., between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. Saturday. The service is free and anonymous.

Last April, Americans turned in 376,593 pounds of prescription drugs at nearly 5,400 sites operated by the DEA and more than 3,000 state and local law enforcement partners.

This initiative addresses a public safety and public health issue. Medicines that languish in home cabinets are 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.