Unused or expired medications are unsafe to have in the medicine cabinet or drawer. The old advice of flushing them down the toilet or putting them down the drain is no longer environmentally correct.

The best and safest way to dispose of drugs properly is to take the medication to a drug drop off location such as the one that’s taking place Sept. 29 on the North Shore.

No Drugs Down the Drain is from 9am-1pm in Tahoe City at the North Tahoe Fire Protection District Offices and in Truckee at the Nevada County sheriff’s substation.

These practices will help protect aquatic life and preserve water quality and will reduce the amount of pharmaceutical products flowing into the nation’s waterways.