Unwanted and unused prescription drugs can be harmful to people and the environment. You can safely dispose of these medicines – including controlled substances – during the 8th nationwide drug “take back” day on Saturday, April 26.

This one-day event will provide free, anonymous collection of unwanted or expired drugs between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. at the following Pierce County locations:

• Pierce County Sheriff’s Department South Hill Precinct, 271 John Bananola Way E, Puyallup
• Sprinker Recreation Center parking lot, 14824 South C Street, Tacoma
• University Place Police Department, 3609 Market Place West Suite 201, University Place
• Edgewood/Milton Police Department collection site: Albertson’s parking lot, 2800 Milton Way, Milton
• Sumer Police Department Lobby, 1104 Maple Street, Sumner
• Gig Harbor City Hall Lobby, 3510 Grandview Street, Gig Harbor
• Puyallup Police Department, 311 West Pioneer, Puyallup

There are 23 “take back” sites in Pierce County that operate year-round. Most are law enforcement agencies, but some pharmacies also participate. Only law enforcement agencies can accept controlled substances. The Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department’s directory featuring all 23 sites can be found online.

Many Americans unknowingly create safety and health hazards by flushing unused medicines down the toilet or throwing them away. Drugs flushed down the toilet will eventually flow into water bodies like Puget Sound because most medicines are not removed by wastewater treatment processes or septic systems. Even medicines placed in the garbage could remain chemically active and escape into the environment when landfill liquids are sent to a wastewater treatment plant. Medicines in the garbage can present a risk to sanitation workers.