National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day

The last time you looked in your medicine cabinet, were there a few nearly-empty orange bottles tucked behind the cotton swabs and toothpaste?

Do you even remember what those pills were for?

If you don't know what to do with them, the Washington Division of the Drug Enforcement Agency has an answer for you.

Today is National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day.

The Montgomery County Police have set up three drop off locations throughout the area where you can bring your expired, unused or unwanted prescription drugs, no questions asked.

Between the hours of 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., bring your medicine to:

• Montgomery County Police Headquarters - 2350 Research Blvd., Rockville, MD
• Montgomery County Police 5th District Station – 20000 Aircraft Drive, Germantown, MD

• Montgomery County Police 2nd District Station – 7359 Wisconsin Avenue, Bethesda, MD

 The DEA is particularly interested in any medication containing a controlled substance, but will accept any prescription drugs, police said. Personal information on labels should be blacked out or removed.

The Environmental Protection Agency discourages people from flushing unwanted drugs down the toilet as they can make their way into the water supply.

The DEA also advises against throwing away old drugs, and encourages properly disposing of them whenever possible.

"The most recent national survey on drug use shows prescription medications to be the most abused drugs by Americans other than marijuana," Police said. "Seven of the ten drugs most commonly abused by teenagers are prescription medications.  Over 75 percent of teen prescription drug abusers get the drugs from family and friends with the home medicine cabinet as a major source."