By Lookout Staff

October 22, 2025 -- On Saturday, the Santa Monica Police Department will collect old, unwanted or expired prescription drugs during DEA’s National Prescription Drug Take Back Day.

The 28th annual nationwide event -- which takes place from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Public Safety Facility, 333 Olympic Drive -- "has helped Americans safely dispose of unneeded medications to prevent drug misuse and abuse," police officials said.

Last year, a record 620,321 pounds (310 tons) of tablets, capsules, patches and other solid forms of prescription drugs were collected during National Prescription Drug Take Back Day.

Collection sites will not accept syringes, sharps and illicit drugs. Liquid products, such as cough syrup, should remain sealed in their original container. The cap must be tightly sealed to prevent leakage.

Santa Monica was one of 4,472 law enforcement agencies that participated, helping bring the total weight of medications collected to more than 19.8 million pounds (10,000 tons) since the program's inception.

"Too often, unused prescription drugs find their way into the wrong hands, DEA officials said. "That's dangerous and often tragic.

"That's why it was great to see thousands of folks from across the country clean out their medicine cabinets and turn in -- safely and anonymously -- a record amount of prescription drugs" last year.

According to SMPD officials, the program also ensures that potentially dangerous medicines don't fall into the hands of children, according to police.

"The number drug overdoses due to prescription medications has skyrocketed over the years, especially among children," police officials said.

The disposed medications also "have the potential to leach into the soil and contaminate groundwater and aquatic animals."

It is estimated hat 4.9 billion retail prescriptions were filled in the U.s. last year, up from 4.38 billion five years earlier, according to the online data gathering platform Statista.