Maryland State Police is encouraging citizens to properly dispose of unwanted prescription drugs by dropping them off at state police barracks during National Prescription Drug Take Back Day, Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Each barrack will have a collection station for unwanted and unused prescription drugs, no questions asked, the agency said in a news release.
The Motor Vehicle Administration will also have a collection site at the Glen Burnie branch located at 6601 Ritchie Highway. The collection site will be available from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. inside the lobby of Building A.
National Prescription Drug Take Back Day aims to provide a safe and convenient means of disposing of prescription drugs while educating the general public about the potential for abuse of medications, according to the news release.
The state police report that second only to marijuana, non-medical prescription drugs are the most commonly used drug in the country. According to the Drug Enforcement Administration, the majority of teenagers abusing prescription drugs are finding an unlimited supply in their family’s medicine cabinet, the agency said.
At the last collection event in April 2022, Maryland State Police collected more than 1,133 pounds of unwanted and unused prescriptions medications. This included 207 pounds from the Glen Burnie barrack, 138.05 pounds from the Frederick barrack, 125.25 pounds from the Westminster barrack, 104.25 from the Golden Ring barrack and 88.7 pounds from the North East barrack.
To find the closest Maryland State Police barrack: mdsp.maryland.gov.