Do you have any unused, unwanted, unneeded, or expired prescription drugs lying around the house or taking up room in your medicine cabinet? If so, this Saturday is your opportunity to get rid of them quickly and easily. The semiannual event is sponsored by the Drug Enforcement Agency in partnership with Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office and other local law enforcement agencies.

Lincoln County will have five drop off locations open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The locations are Boothbay Harbor Town Office, Whitefield Lions Club, LincolnHealth Miles Campus, Wiscasset Police Department, and Waldoboro Town Office.

Not sure where those drugs came from in the first place? No worries. This is an opportunity to dispose of unused pills with no questions asked. You can dispose of any and all pills, including pet medications.

There are many reasons to pull these drugs from the environment and dispose of them securely. First and foremost is to reduce the chances of someone finding and misusing them or ingesting them accidentally. Children and pets are susceptible to accidental ingestion, so it is just good home safety to keep unused pills out of the environment. But it’s also important not to flush pills down the toilet or drains. When drugs are disposed of in this way it pollutes the water supply and toxic compounds bleed into the ecosystem.

Healthy Lincoln County and the Community Resource Council of Boothbay will be at the Boothbay Harbor Town office from 10 A.M. to 2 P.M. offering personalized Narcan training on a walk-in basis. We will also be helping celebrate Earth Day with the Boothbay Harbor Memorial Library that same morning. Come see us and bring any unused drugs you might be ready to get rid of!

If you can’t make it work on Saturday, you are still in luck. Lincoln County now has three year-round disposal sites at the following locations: Boothbay Harbor Police Department, Damariscotta Police Department, and Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office. These sites are open all year round during normal business hours. Now, every day is Drug Take Back Day!

But the April and October observances are still an important opportunity to mark the calendar and remind yourself to check this chore off your to-do list! They may seem harmless just sitting there, but getting those pills safely disposed of is something you can do easily to protect the health and wellness of your family, friends, and neighbors.

For more information on safe disposal or for materials on where to bring your unwanted or unused medication, contact Will at Healthy Lincoln County at 207-563-1330.