LEWISTON — Androscoggin County residents will have an opportunity to safely dispose of expired, unused and unwanted medications at the free  Medicine Disposal Day event from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, April 30.

Medicines can be taken to Farwell Elementary School at 110 Farwell St. in Lewiston or Central Fire Station at 550 Minot Ave. in Auburn. This is a drive-thru operation where residents can simply drive up and safely hand off their medications. Police officers from Lewiston and Auburn police departments will be on site to supervise the collection. This medication collection event is a part of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s National Take Back Initiative.

Many different types of medications will be accepted including expired or unwanted prescriptions, vitamins, veterinary medications, homeopathic treatments and over the counter medicines. Items that cannot be accepted include mercury thermometers, electronic equipment and needles/syringes.

Nearly 160 households in Androscoggin County dropped off over 380 pounds of medications at the medicine disposal day held last November in Lewiston.

This initiative addresses important issues of public safety, public health and environmental protection. Accumulating medicines in the home are dangerous and have been found to be a leading cause of accidental poisonings in the U.S. These medicines are also highly susceptible to diversion, misuse and abuse.

For more information on the Free Medicine Disposal Day, contact Healthy Androscoggin at 795-2120 or Androscoggin Valley Council of Governments at 783-9186. Information is also available at www.healthyandroscoggin.org. For other collection sites in Androscoggin County visit the Drug Enforcement Administration’s website at www.justice.gov/dea.