Dearborn – The Dearborn Police Department is taking back unused, unwanted and expired prescription drugs on Saturday, April 27, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

This is the 17th opportunity in eight years that the Dearborn Police and the Drug Enforcement Administration has given residents to safely dispose of their unused prescriptions medications.

According to Dearborn Police, the takeback program can have a significant impact in curbing prescription drug abuse and theft.

“This initiative addresses a vital public safety and public health issue,” the department said in a press release. “Medicines that languish in home cabinets are highly susceptible to diversion, misuse and abuse.”

According to the department, the rates of prescription drug abuse in the U.S. are alarmingly high, as are incidences of accidental poisoning and overdoses.

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s National Survey on Drug Use and Health shows year after year that the majority of misused and abused prescription drugs are obtained from family and friends, including someone else’s medication being stolen from the home medicine cabinet.

The department advises that the current popular methods of flushing unused medicines or throwing them in the trash pose a safety and health hazard.

The Dearborn Police Department asks residents to bring their unused medication to the front lobby of the Dearborn Police Station. The DEA cannot accept liquids or needles or sharps. Only pills or patches are accepted. The service is free and anonymous.

For more information on the April 27 Take Back Day event, visit www.DEATakeBack.com.