The Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office and the Drug Enforcement Administration are offering a free, anonymous prescription drug disposal event Saturday.

Set for 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., the disposal will take place at the year-round drop-off location in the sheriff’s office South Precinct, 2985 Ronald Reagan Boulevard.

“While the permanent drop-off box is always available, this event gives us the opportunity to highlight the dangers of having these medications in the home,” said Sheriff Duane K. Piper. “We encourage anyone with prescription medicine they are not taking to set aside the time to come by this Saturday.”

The event is the sixth offered locally in the last three years.

Last September, Americans turned in 244 tons of prescription drugs at more than 5,200 sites operated by the DEA and its thousands of state and local law enforcement partners.

In its five previous take-back events, DEA and its partners collected more than 2 million pounds of pills.

This initiative addresses a vital public safety and public health issue, according to authorities. Medicines that languish in home cabinets are highly susceptible to diversion, misuse and abuse.

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.

In addition, usual methods for disposing of unused medicines — flushing them down the toilet or throwing them in the trash — pose potential safety and health hazards.