PARIS — Police departments across Oxford County will participate in Drug Take Back Day on Saturday, Sept. 29.

The national program, designed to fight prescription drug abuse by getting unused drugs out of homes, has grown every year.

According to the Drug Enforcement Administration, Maine ranked No. 1 per capita in drug collections at the April take-back, with almost 20,000 pounds of medication collected. Nationwide, Americans turned in 552,161 pounds in April.

The Oxford County Sheriff’s Office will collect unused medication at its headquarters on Western Avenue in Paris, as well as its Bethel office a 1 Parkway, and at the Sacopee Valley Health Center on Main Street in Porter. The Norway Police Department will accept medication at the Norway Town Office on Danforth Street.

All collections are from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday.

The Oxford County Sheriff’s Office accepts old, expired and unused prescriptions from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday year-round in Paris.

The event is anonymous and free. All unused, unwanted or expired medications, including prescriptions, over-the-counter or veterinary pills, drops and ointments are acceptable.

Thermometers, batteries, or durable medical equipment, intravenous solutions, injectables, syringes, or illicit substances will not be accepted.

Police recommend that personal identifying information be removed from the label, but that the contents remain labeled.

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