WEST DES MOINES, Iowa — Iowa Law Enforcement and the Drug Enforcement Administration are partnering up for Drug Take Back Day.

The goal of Drug Take Back Day is to reduce overdoses and ensure that medications don’t end up in the wrong hands.

Last fall, Iowa Public Safety reported Iowans turned in nearly 8,200 pounds of unwanted medicine. To date, the state has also reported that 107 tons of unused medication were safely disposed of.

The West Des Moines Police Department is one of the participating locations in the metro.

“There is an immediate apparent value in getting unwanted, expired, unneeded medication out of the home environment. Whether that is to prevent access to accidental consumption or intentional consumption, this is a great mechanism to get those things out of the house so they can be disposed of safely,” West Des Moines Sergeant Dan Wade said.

More than 400 law enforcement agencies and pharmacies around the state have collection boxes. You can find a drop-off location by visiting this website.

The next Drug Take Back Day is set for late October.

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