WASHINGTON — Montgomery County residents will get the opportunity to properly dispose of old prescription medications this Saturday.
The Montgomery County Police Department is joining forces with other law enforcement agencies in the county to conduct a drug take-back day.
The aim is to reduce prescription drug abuse and theft that often stems from old prescriptions being left in the medicine cabinet.
“You really have no idea what that medication can do to somebody,” says Rick Goodale with Montgomery County Police.
He says the event is geared toward protecting the water supply by encouraging people not to flush their old medications down the toilet.
The program will accept any type of prescription pills, but the department is particularly interested in medications containing controlled substances.
Liquids, illegal drugs, needles and syringes will not be accepted.
For residents unable to take part in the drug take-back day, the department urges people to dispose of them safely. Proper steps include not flushing them down the toilet, but instead crushing and mixing them with cat litter, coffee grounds or saw dust, before putting them into the trash.
Also, all labels should be removed from the drugs before they are disposed of.
Below is a list of drop-off locations:
Montgomery County Police Department:
1st District/Headquarters — 100 Edison Park Drive, Gaithersburg, Md. 20878
2nd District Friendship Heights Community Center — 4433 S Park Ave., Chevy Chase, Md. 20815
3rd District — 1002 Milestone Drive, Silver Spring, Md. 20904
4th District — 2300 Randolph Rd., Wheaton, Md. 20902
5th District — 20000 Aircraft Drive, Germantown, Md. 20874
6th District — 45 West Watkins Mill Rd., Gaithersburg, Md. 20878
Chevy Chase Village Police Department
5906 Connecticut Ave., Chevy Chase, Md. 20815
Gaithersburg Police Department
14 Fulks Corner Ave., Gaithersburg, Md. 20877
Maryland State Police Rockville Barrack
7915 Montrose Rd., Rockville, Md. 20854
Rockville City Police Department and the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office
2 W. Montgomery Ave., Rockville, Md. 20850
Takoma Park Police Department
7500 Maple Ave., Takoma Park, Md. 20912