National Prescription Drug Take Back Day is currently planned for Saturday, April 30.
A pair of local government agencies are set to join forces with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) to host the event.
Over the past 12 years, the National Take Back Initiative has culminated in the seizure and disposal of greater than 56,000 pounds of unused or expired prescription medications around the state of Hawaii.
“The National Take Back Initiative began as a way for potentially dangerous medications to be properly disposed of in order to help keep our ohana, as well as our environment safe," Mike Short, acting assistant special agent for the DEA's Honolulu district office, told the governor's official website.
The event will run for four hours, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., mostly with drive-thru services. Authorities and experts emphasize that expired medicine should not be thrown in the trash or flushed down the toilet. Collection points will be located on Oahu, Maui, Kauai and Hawaii Island.
Labels or pills do not need to be removed from the bottles; they only need to be placed in disposable bags and dropped off at the event.
Having expired or unneeded medication in your home can increase the risk for an accidental poisoning or overdose, particularly by children or the elderly. This type of event is the safest way to eliminate these medications from your home, making it a safer place for all family members.