This Saturday provides a wonderful opportunity to get rid of not-needed prescriptions. You know, the ones we all seem to have in the back our bathroom cabinet.

According to a release, Oct. 25 has been designated as National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day. Sponsored by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), it will be held in communities across America, including Columbiana County, to raise awareness about the dangers of prescription drug abuse.

Locally, area residents will have an opportunity to drop off their unused, unwanted or expired medications on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at two locations in East Liverpool and Salem, as follows:

East Liverpool City Hospital-Main Entrance, 425 W. Fifth St.

SRMC Professional Services Building (across from the Salem Regional Medical Center), 2094 E. State St.

Area residents will remain in their cars and hand off the unwanted medications to local law enforcement officers, who will be the only staff handling the medications. No requests for identification will be asked. Unwanted capsules or tablets may be kept in their original containers or removed from the original container.

This one-day medication collection effort is being sponsored by the Columbiana County Drug Task Force (330-424-0309) and local law enforcement jurisdictions, East Liverpool City Hospital (330-385-7200), and Salem Regional Medical Center (330-332-7152).

These organizations are collaborating on this county-wide event to remove potentially dangerous controlled substances from people’s homes.

We certainly encourage anyone with unused, old prescriptions to properly dispose of them lest they end up inadvertently taken or even in the wrong hands of someone. All it takes is a drive to one of our county’s two hospitals.