The spring edition of the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) Prescription Drug Take-Back Day is this Saturday, and people throughout the country are encouraged to rid their homes of unused medications.

The Perry Police Department is taking part in one such event, and Chief Eric Vaughn says it will be a great opportunity for the public to safely dispose of any expired and potentially dangerous prescription drugs. Vaughn adds, the drugs will be incinerated by the DEA, which is a much safer disposal method than the old practice of flushing them down the toilet, and also keeps them out of the wrong hands. “So it’s a good way not only to get them out of our houses, but to keep them out of our water system. And also, it keeps it out of hands of people that maybe have a substance abuse problem that like to take advantage of people and maybe take them out of their medicine cabinets for them. And also out of the hands of maybe kids that might get ahold of them too. So it just gives a great, safe alternative for that.”

Vaughn emphasizes that all pill and patch medications will be accepted, whether they’re prescription or over-the-counter, with no questions asked. However, they will not accept syringes or inhalers, as those are more difficult to incinerate. The drug take-back event will be held Saturday from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. at the Perry Hy-Vee. To learn more about this and other police-related topics, listen to today’s and tomorrow’s Perry Fareway Let’s Talk Dallas County programs on air and at RaccoonValleyRadio.com.