LEWISTON — Androscoggin County residents will have a chance to safely dispose of unused and unwanted medicines Saturday, Oct. 29, at the free Medicine Disposal Day drop-off in Lewiston and Auburn.

Residents will be able to drive up and drop off medications to waiting volunteers. The collections have grown over recent years, with the spring collection taking in over a half ton of medicines. While that’s significant, many more unused medicines remain in area households, according to Scott Gagnon, substance abuse coordinator for the Lewiston-Auburn Safe Schools/Healthy Students Initiative.

Prescription drug abuse has become a big problem in Maine. Statistics show that prescription and over-the-counter medicines are the most abused substance by high school seniors, more than alcohol and tobacco.

Maine Attorney General William Schneider recently convened a summit to address the serious prescription drug abuse problem plaguing Maine. One of the action steps from the summit was to continue to promote safe storage and disposal of prescription drugs in homes.

And, improperly disposing of medicine poses threats to the environment. Flushing medicine in toilets introduces pharmaceutical compounds to the public water systems.

On Saturday anyone can drop off unwanted medicine from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Farwell Elementary School in Lewiston, and at the Central Fire Station in Auburn.

The day is sponsored by L-A Safe Schools/Healthy Students Initiative, the Drug Enforcement Administration and area hospitals and pharmacies.

For more information, go to www.healthyandroscoggin.org.

For other collection sites in Androscoggin County, go to www.justice.gov/dea/