Drug Take-Back Set for Saturday

Whether it's to keep drugs out of the wrong hands or protect our waters, more and more people are using National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day to safely get rid of unwanted prescription drugs in their homes.

Saturday is your next opportunity. From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., you can bring prescription drugs to the Westlake Police Department for disposal.

You don't have to give your name or answer any questions.

In the previous four National Prescription Drug Take-Back Days, 1.6 million pounds — almost 774 tons — of prescription drugs were collected.

Getting these drugs out of homes helps fight drug abuse, according the DEA. It cites the 2011 National Survey on Drug Use and Health that stated more Americans currently abuse prescription drugs than the number of those using cocaine, hallucinogens, and heroin combined.

Another good reason to bring prescription drugs in? It keeps them from getting into our water supply, which happens when we put them in landfills or flush them down the toilet.