(KNZA)-Several local law enforcement agencies will be collecting unused leftover medications for safe disposal Saturday as part of National Drug Take-Back Day. Brown County Sheriff John Merchant says his department will again join the effort, conducting collections from 10:00 in the morning until 2:00 in the afternoon at the Sheriff’s office located at 709 Utah Street in Hiawatha.

“The purpose of it is to take any prescription medications off the streets,” Merchant said. “In other words, if you’ve got an expired, unwanted or unused medications—then you bring it down to us and we put it in a drop box. It’s completely anonymous. You’re able to just drop it in.”

He added they’ve taken several hundred pounds of medications out of Brown County so far since the program started.

Merchant says even though they accept these medications 24/7, participating in this event gives them the opportunity to have access to proper disposal through the Federal Drug Enforcement Administration at no cost to the county taxpayer. The Nemaha County Sheriff’s Office and Sabetha Police Department will also be participating in National Drug Take-Back Day Saturday. Jackson County Sheriff Tim Morse says his office will also be taking part, as will agencies in Leavenworth and Saint Joseph. The collection events are part of a nationwide effort to safely dispose of leftover medications to prevent accidental or intentional misuse. Since the program began in 2010, more than 45 tons of unwanted medications have been collected and destroyed in Kansas alone.