(MSC News)--Prescription drugs must be disposed of safely and properly.

That’s the reason behind National Drug Take Back Day, planned for Saturday, as local area law enforcement agencies partner with the Drug Enforcement Agency, to allow safe disposal of such medications.

Locally, medications will be accepted Saturday from 10 to 2 at the Brown, Jackson and Nemaha County Sheriff’s along with two locations in Leavenworth—Price Chopper and CVS Pharmacy.

Brown County Sheriff John Merchant says his office not only participates in this national event, but are  a 24 hours a day, seven day a week drop off location.

Merchant says his office has participated in the program since it was established in 2010, collecting and turning over to the DEA more than 2,000 pounds of medications to date.

A remote drop-off point will not be put in place for Atchison County on Saturday. Instead, Atchison County Sheriff Jack Laurie tells MSC News medications can be dropped off at any time at the Atchison County Law Enforcement Center, as well as other area locations. “We have a drop box here at the Sheriff's Office, in the lobby, that anybody can come in and drop that medication off at any time, even after hours. Live Well, Live Atchison also has placed boxes throughout the community and they have a few different locations that they accept medication as well.”

Drug Take Back Day is held twice each year, once in the fall and again in the spring. Laurie says his office will utilize a remote drop off point during the spring event. Nearly 75 tons of unwanted medications have been collected and destroyed in Kansas since the program began eight years ago.

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Editor's note: the following was submitted by Brown County Sheriff John Merchant

I would like to inform county residents that Saturday October 27th is "National Drug  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 7,000,000 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  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, 7 days a week  to accept the medications.

We cannot accept needles/syringes or injectable medications.

This is a very worthwhile program that I hope is around for many years to come.  To date, we have collected and turned in over 2,000 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."