The federal Drug Enforcement Agency this weekend is teaming up with local law enforcement in its biannual effort to collect unused prescription drugs.
Law enforcement agencies will be collecting unneeded prescription drugs between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. Saturday. The goal: to prevent possible misuse of the drugs -- especially painkillers containing opioids -- in the home or on the streets.
More than 4,400 law enforcement agencies nationwide participated in the last Take-Back Day in October. Expect similar numbers Saturday, officials say.
Since the first Take Back Day in 2016, the DEA says it has collected and properly disposed of roughly 9,600 tons of unused meds.
The agencies also are reminding people not to throw those drugs down the drain because they have "potential to impact our environment," according to Edgar Nolasco, director of the Santa Clara County Consumer and Environmental Protection Agency.
Find the nearest drop-off location on the DEA website.
Get a weekly recap of the latest San Francisco Bay Area housing news. Sign up for NBC Bay Area’s Housing Deconstructed newsletter.
