People may turn in their unused prescription drugs in South Lake Tahoe on Oct. 26 from 10am-2pm.

Bring medications for disposal to Safeway at 1020 Johnson Blvd., South Lake Tahoe. The service is free and anonymous.

Last April, people in the U.S. turned in 371 tons of prescription drugs at more than 5,800 sites operated by the DEA and its thousands of state and local law enforcement partners.

Rates of prescription drug abuse in the U.S. are alarmingly high, as are the number of accidental poisonings and overdoses due to these drugs. Studies show that a majority of abused prescription drugs are obtained from family and friends, including from the home medicine cabinet.

Flushing meds down the toilet or throwing them in the trash pose potential safety and health hazards.