Riverside County residents who want to get rid of expired, unused or unwanted drugs will have an opportunity to safely Saturday during National Drug Take-Back Day.

The national effort is organized by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, in partnership with local law enforcement agencies, to underscore the importance of taking commonly abused drugs out of circulation.

In Riverside County, Kaiser Permanente Southern California is partnering with law enforcement to open to host a locations where people can drop off unwanted medications from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

-- Murrieta Police Department (front parking lot), 2 Town Square

-- Redlands Police Department/Cajon Pharmacy, 232 Cajon St.

"For more than a decade, DEA's National Prescription Drug Take Back Day has helped Americans remove unnecessary medications -- those that are old, unwanted, or expired -- from their homes," according to the DEA. "These medications can be a gateway to addiction, and have helped fuel the opioid epidemic."

In 2023, more than 110,000 people died from drug poisonings and drug-related deaths, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. DEA officials said that according to a report by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, a majority of people who misused a prescription medication obtained it from a relative or friend.

During the last Take Back Day in April, DEA officials said 335 tons of unwanted medications were collected nationwide. Since the Take Back program began in 2010, roughly 9,285 tons have been collected.

Collection sites will accept tablets, capsules, patches and other forms of prescription and over-the-counter drugs. The sites will not accept any liquids, syringes, sharps, and illicit drugs.

A complete list of take-back sites is available at dea.gov/takebackday.

The DEA noted that provisions in the federal Secure & Responsible Drug Disposal Act authorize pharmacies, hospitals and other facilities to serve as collection sites year-round.