(MSC News)--Law enforcement agencies across Kansas will be collecting unused leftover medications for safe disposal Saturday.

Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt says the collection events are part of a nationwide effort to safely dispose of leftover medications to prevent accidental or intentional misuse.

Locally, unused prescription drugs will be accepted Saturday from 10 to 2 at theBrown, Jackson and Nemaha County Sheriff’s Offices along with the Marshall County Health Department. In Atchison, collections will be made at CVS. They will also be accepted at two locations in Leavenworth---Price Chopper and CVS Pharmacy.

The National Drug Take-Back Day is coordinated by the federal Drug Enforcement Administration, which collects and safely destroys the medications.

Since the program began in 2010, Schmidt says more than 50 tons of unwanted medications have been collected and destroyed in Kansas alone.

The following was submitted by Brown Co Sheriff John Merchant:

I would like to inform county residents that Saturday April 29th is
"National Take Back Day."  This is a national event to garner support of
the public to clean out their medicine chest of unused, unwanted or expired
medication and to provide safe and secure local drop off points.  

The Brown County Sheriffs office has been a part of this very worthwhile program since the program was established in 2010.  Since that time, more than
5,525,021 pounds  of unwanted, unused or expired medications have been
turned in for destruction nationwide.   By statistic, more than 46,000
Americans die each year from drug-related deaths.  According to the 2014
National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 6.5 million Americans abused
controlled prescription drugs and a majority of abused prescription drugs
are obtained through family and friends, including from their home medicine
cabinets.

We not only participate in this national event, but we are also a 24 hours
a day, seven day a week drop off location for these medications.  In the
past we have had such a positive turn out, I felt a need to provide this
service at any time of day or night to provide a way for the public to
properly dispose of their medications.

 By participating in this event, we at the Sheriffs Office,  safely store the acquired medications in a secure holding area and then turn the custody over the to DEA agents for proper disposal, so we encourage the public at any time to bring their medications to us at 709 Utah Street in Hiawatha.  Dispatchers are on duty 24 hours a day to accept the medications.

We cannot accept needles/syringes or injectable medications.

To date, we have collected and turned in over 1,000 pounds of these
medication in Brown County.  I appreciate everyone's cooperation and
encourage the public to check your medicine cabinets and turn in your
expired, unwanted or unused prescriptions.  "By working together this helps
make Brown County a safer place to live and raise a family."