SILVERDALE — Do your part to keep your communities safe by removing unwanted drugs from residential households.

Three local law enforcement agencies are conducting a Take-Back Day event this Saturday to assist Kitsap residents with the proper disposal of unwanted medications.

This is a national endeavor under the auspices of the U. S. Drug Enforcement Administration.

Time and date: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Saturday, April 30.

Locations:

— Kitsap County Sheriff’s Office, 3951 NW Randall Way, Silverdale.

— Bainbridge Island Police Department, 625 Winslow Way East, Bainbridge Island.

— Suquamish Tribal Police Department, 18490 Suquamish Way NE, Suquamish.

Type: Prescription and over-the-counter (OTC) medications only. All solid medications and non-injectable liquids, such as cough syrup, liquid Tylenol, etc., will be accepted. All drugs must be in some type of container or bag. Please don’t mix different drugs in containers or bags, as reactions can occur.

Types of drugs that can’t be accepted:

— Insulin

— Illicit substances, such as methamphetamine, heroin or marijuana

— Syringes and medical waste

The take back is anonymous; those turning in medications do so without having to provide any information.

This event is in addition to, and complements, the permanent drug take-back program now ongoing in the lobbies of the sheriff’s Silverdale and Port Orchard offices, open and available during regular business hours.

This occasion allows for a weekend disposal opportunity when residents may not be able to drop off their unwanted medications on a weekday. It also allows for the proper disposal of OTC medications, which, due to sheer volume, can no longer be accepted at sheriff’s office disposal sites.

This initiative addresses vital public safety and public health concerns, including:

— The U.S. presently is experiencing an epidemic of addiction, overdose and death due to abuse of prescription drugs, particularly opioid painkillers. More than 6.5 million people abuse prescription drugs, according to the most recent national survey on drug use and health. This is more than those who abuse cocaine, heroin and hallucinogens combined.

— Drug overdoses now are the leading cause of injury-related deaths in the U.S., eclipsing deaths from motor vehicle collisions or firearms. The removal from homes of unwanted prescription pills that can be abused, stolen or resold is an easy way to help fight the epidemic of substance abuse and addiction.

— Drugs disposed of in county or municipal sewage systems, or residential septic systems, eventually enter waste-water treatment facilities, which are not designed to filter these substances. Subsequently, these medications make their way into Puget Sound, the water tables and local vegetation.

Please help keep your family and your community safe by removing unwanted drugs from your household, because medicines flushed into sewer or septic systems pollute the environment, and safe medicine disposal reduces drug abuse and accidental poisoning.