KANSAS CITY, Mo. — This Saturday, National Prescription Drug Take Back Day aims to helps people across the United States safely dispose of prescription drugs.

The Drug Enforcement Administration also works to educate the public about the potential for abuse of medications.

The DEA said opioid misuse remains at epidemic levels, with someone in the United States dying of a drug poisoning every five minutes. Most people who misuse a prescription medication obtain it from a family member or friend, a federal report says.

That’s why twice a year, the agency encourages you to clean out the medicine cabinet and toss unused or expired pills.

Drug Take Back Day is completely anonymous. Medicines are put into a sealed box, then taken to the DEA where they are incinerated.

Several police departments and other locations in the Kansas City area have drug take back boxes that are available all year. But on Drug Take Back Day, even more sites are available for you to conveniently dispose of medications.

Dozens of agencies all across Missouri and Kansas are participating in this Saturday’s Drug Take Back Day from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. You can enter your zip code and find a drop off location near you here.

At the last Drug Take Back Day in 2022, the DEA collected over 647,000 pounds of prescription drugs.