STARKVILLE, Miss. -- Mississippians can do their part to combat the national opioid crisis and protect their home environments by dropping off unused medications at take-back sites around the state on Oct. 27.

David Buys, health specialist with the Mississippi State University Extension Service, said National Take Back Day provides a safe, convenient and responsible way to dispose of unused or expired medications.

“Take Back Day is a great opportunity to collectively focus on the importance of having a safe and clean medicine cabinet,” Buys said. “It’s common to think that hanging on to medicines in case you need them in the future is the right thing to do, but instead, we need to discard most prescriptions and especially pain medicines, when we are through an episode of illness or injury.”

Buys said national events and promotions like Take Back Day are a helpful way to restart practices in our homes that align with recommendations from the experts on how to stay safe and healthy.

Properly discarding prescription medications is also good for the environment, specifically water quality, because many people mistakenly believe it is safe to flush drugs. However, that is not the case.

Waste-water treatment systems typically are not designed to remove these substances. Therefore, the chemicals can ultimately end up in ground and surface waters.

MSU Extension has an online publication addressing safe disposal of medicines and personal care products. Find “Safe Disposal of Medicines and Personal Care Products” at http://bit.ly/2Aptz7A.

To locate the nearest take-back site, go to https://www.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/drug_disposal/takeback/ and for more information about MSU Extension’s efforts, visit http://extension.msstate.edu/content/the-promise-initiative/.