On Saturday, April 27, from 10 a.m.to 2 p.m. the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office along with the police departments of Boothbay Harbor, Damariscotta, Waldoboro, and Wiscasset will host the semi-annual Drug Take Back Day.

This medication disposal event has been offered every spring and fall for the last eight years with a goal to prevent prescription drug misuse and theft. Everyone is invited to bring in expired, unused, and unwanted prescription drugs for safe disposal, no questions asked.  This national event is sponsored by the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), local law enforcement and community health partners. The service is free and anonymous.

There will be five drop-off locations in Lincoln County: Boothbay Harbor Town Office; Wiscasset Police Department;  LincolnHealth, Miles Campus in Damariscotta; Waldoboro Town Office; and the Sheepscot Valley Health Center in Coopers Mills.

The DEA can accept all unused, unwanted or expired prescription or over-the-counter medications. This includes pills, liquids, ointments and patches. The DEA cannot accept needles, other sharps, syringes, electronic devices or devices with mercury.

Last April, 600 pounds of prescription drugs were returned to Lincoln County disposal sites. Over the course of the last eight years, the state of Maine has collected over 350,000 pounds of medication at these events, more than any other state in New England.

“Whether it’s to protect our children, our pets, or our natural environment, we know that this is the safest way to dispose of medications, and hope that everyone takes advantage of the opportunity,” says Kate Martin, Director of Healthy Lincoln County.

For more information about the disposal of prescription drugs or about the Take Back Day event, go to www.dea.gov/diversion-control-division, or call the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office at 882-7332.