SABATTUS — The Police Department will participate in the National Drug Take Back Initiative on Oct. 29, collecting unwanted and outdated prescription drugs for safe disposal.

The collection site will be the police station at 190 Middle Road and hours are 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Lt. Matt Prince said.

In 2010, Mainers turned in 7,820 pounds of prescription drugs, making the state No. 1 per capita in the collection effort. In April of this year, 11,920 pounds of medications were turned in, again making Maine No. 1 per capita in the country.

Collection day protocols include:

* Controlled, non-controlled, and over-the-counter substances may be collected.

* The program is anonymous. No questions or requests for identification will be made.

* Participants may dispose of medication in its original container or by removing the medication from its container and disposing of it directly into the disposal box. If an original container is submitted, the individual should be encouraged to remove any identifying information from the prescription label.

* All solid dosage pharmaceutical products and liquids in consumer containers may be accepted. Liquid products, such as cough syrup, should remain sealed in their original container. The depositor should ensure that the cap is tightly sealed to prevent leakage.

* Intra-venous solutions, injectibles, and syringes will not be accepted due to potential hazard posed by blood-borne pathogens.

* Illicit substances such as marijuana or methamphetamine are not a part of this initiative and should not be placed in collection containers.

For those unable to participate, they can use the statewide prescription drug mail back program. Details are available at www.safemeddisposal.com.

National Prescription Drug Take Back Day is an effort by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration to address the problem of abuse of prescription drugs that are obtained from family and friends, including from home medicine cabinets.

In all, 309 tons of unwanted or expired medications have been turned in nationwide in the past year.

For information about the third National Prescription Drug Take Back Day, including a link to locate a collection sites, go to www.dea.gov.