SILVERDALE – Do your part to keep your communities safe by removing unwanted drugs from residential households during Take Back Day Sept. 26 from 10 a.m.–2 p.m.

The Kitsap County Sheriff’s Office, Bainbridge Island Police Department and Suquamish Tribal Police Department are conducting a Take Back Day event 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.

The event is based at three locations:

• Kitsap County Sheriff’s Patrol Precinct Office, 3951 NW Randall Way, in Silverdale.

• Bainbridge Island Police Department, 625 Winslow Way East, on Bainbridge Island.

• Suquamish Tribal Police Department, 18490 Suquamish Way NE, in Suquamish.

The types of drugs that will be accepted include prescription and over the counter (OTC) medications only. All solid medications and non-injectable liquids, (such as cough syrup, liquid Tylenol) 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 include 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 complements the permanent drug take back program now on-going in the lobbies of the sheriff’s Silverdale and Port Orchard offices, which are 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 the sheriff’s office disposal sites.

The goal of the take-back is to address vital public safety and public health concerns:

• More than seven million Americans currently abuse prescription drugs, according to a recent Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration’s National Survey on Drug Use and Health.

• Each day, some 2,500 teens use prescription drugs to get high for the first time according to the Partnership for a Drug Free America. Studies show that a majority of abused prescription drugs are obtained from family and friends, including the home medicine cabinet.

• 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, your water tables and local vegetation.

Please help keep your family and your community safe by removing unwanted drugs from your household:

• Medicines flushed into sewer or septic systems pollute the environment.

• Safe medicine disposal reduces drug abuse and accidental poisoning.