FRAMINGHAM – Residents can rid their homes of potentially dangerous expired, unused and unwanted prescription drugs on Saturday, April 30, when the Framingham Police Department (FPD) and Medical Reserves Corp hold Drug Take Back Day, a free drive-thru and anonymous service.

Held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the municipal parking lot at 1 William Welch Way, the program aims to prevent drug abuse and theft by accepting pills, patches, liquids and ointments for disposal.

No questions will be asked regarding ownership of articles and entrants will be anonymous.

This initiative addresses a vital public safety and public health issue, according to Kitty Mahoney, Chief Public Health Nurse for the City of Framingham.

“Medicines that languish in household cupboards are highly susceptible to being diverted, misused and abused,” she said. “Rates of prescription drug abuse in the United States are alarming, as are the number of accidental poisonings and overdoses from these drugs.”

Studies show that the majority of prescription drugs abused come from family and friends, including home medicine cabinets.

Other disposal methods, such as flushing the drugs down the toilet or throwing them in the trash, pose safety and health risks.

If you have any questions, please contact Mahoney at 508-532-5472.

This press release was produced by the City of Framingham. The opinions expressed here are those of the author.