Maine National Guard partners with Augusta law enforcement for Drug Take Back Day

Volunteers from the Maine National Guard, Augusta PD and the Kennebec County Sheriff's Office collected unwanted prescription drugs Friday at the Augusta Armory.

Drug Take Back Day provides a convenient way for folks to safely get rid of expired or unused drugs.

Police dispose of them in hopes of reducing thefts and the misuse and abuse of medications.

People across Maine can take part in a similar event next weekend on National Drug Take Back Day.

"Local law enforcement and Sheriff's Offices- they'll be conducting them throughout municipalities to make it easier for people to drop them off," said Kennebec County Sheriff Ken Mason.

"And it's also about raising awareness that this is an issue for our communities. And as a collaboration between the three entities, we want to make sure that people know that we care about the community and we want to get these drugs out of the community before it becomes a problem," said Lt. Col. Darryl Lyon, Maine Army National Guard.

You can take part in the national event on Saturday, April 28th from 10AM-2PM.

Since it was founded in 2010, more than 9 million pounds of medicine has been collected on Drug Take Back Day.