BALTIMORE, MD—In an effort to combat opioid addiction, Maryland State Police will join forces with the Drug Enforcement Administration for the 27th National Drug Take Back Day. On Saturday, October 26, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., the public can drop off unwanted prescription drugs at any of the 23 Maryland State Police barracks, no questions asked.

This biannual initiative provides a safe and secure way to dispose of medications while raising awareness about medication misuse. All Maryland State Police barracks house secure drug collection boxes available 24/7.

The DEA collected over 10,500 pounds of unwanted drugs from nearly 93 collection sites in Maryland during the last Take Back Day in April. The Maryland State Police contributed over 2,000 pounds to that total.

“The initiative is a collaborative effort between the Drug Enforcement Administration and law enforcement agencies nationwide,” the Maryland State Police stated in a press release.

Since its inception in 2014, the Maryland State Police have collected nearly 31,000 pounds of prescription drugs through this program. In 2017, the state’s largest collection was 2,669 pounds.

For more information on Maryland’s overdose response, visit https://stopoverdose.maryland.gov.

This article was written with the assistance of AI and reviewed by a human editor.