On Saturday, April 30, the Hollister Police Department, in collaboration with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), will hold a prescription drug disposal event at the Target store on Airline Highway in Hollister.  

After collecting and destroying 5.5 million pounds — 2,762 tons — of unused prescription drugs in the past five years, the DEA is continuing its efforts to take back unused, unwanted and expired prescription medications. The DEA invites the public to bring their potentially dangerous, unwanted medicines to one of over 5,000 collection sites around the country that are manned by more than 3,800 of DEA's tribal and local law enforcement partners. This service is free of charge, with no questions asked.

According to a press release from Hollister Police, "This initiative addresses a vital public safety and public health issue. 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, Americans are now advised that their usual methods for disposing of unused medicines—flushing them down the toilet or throwing them in the trash—both pose potential safety and health hazards and risk the contamination of our water supplies." 

The public is encouraged to bring their medications for disposal to the Target parking lot at 1790 Airline Highway on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The service is free and anonymous, no questions asked.