Prescription Drug Take Back Day Around San Diego County

People with expired or unneeded prescription drugs can get rid of them safely today by participating in the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration's fourth National Prescription Take Back Day.

The , at 10512 Mission Gorge Rd. is the closest place in Santee to deposit your old pharmacuticals.

Law enforcement agencies, military bases, hospitals, universities and businesses across the county will accept dropped-off medications between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., according to the DEA. The service is free and anonymous, with no questions asked.

"Getting these potentially harmful drugs off the streets of our community is an important step in decreasing prescription-drug abuse among our youth," said William Sherman, acting special agent in charge of the DEA's San Diego office.

During the most recent Prescription Take Back Day, in September, authorities collected 7,113 pounds of medications from San Diego and Imperial counties. Nationally, a total of over 188.5 tons of medications was turned in at 5,327 drop-off sites.

Misuse of prescription drugs is a growing problem in the United States, according to medical and law enforcement officials. The substances often fall into the hands of recreational users -- many of them minors raiding their parents' medicine cabinets -- or are improperly discarded, posing public-health risks.

A 2009 national survey by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration found that more than 7 million Americans abused prescription drugs.

Medications may be dropped off at any of the following locations in San Diego County:

Central

-- Mesa College, 7250 Mesa College Dr., Suite Q-100 San Diego;

-- North Park Lions Club, 3927 Utah St., San Diego;

-- San Diego County Juvenile Hall, 2801 Meadow Lark Drive, San Diego;

-- San Diego Police Department Eastern Division station, 9225 Aero Drive;

-- SDPD Southeastern Division station, 7222 Skyline Drive;

-- SDPD Northwestern Division station, 12592 El Camino Real;

-- Scripps Green Hospital, 10666 N. Torrey Pines Road, San Diego;

-- Sharp Health Care corporate offices, 8695 Spectrum Center Blvd., San Diego; and

-- University of California San Diego, Lot 705, Voigt and Campus Point drives.

Eastern

-- Albertsons Shopping Center, 2955 Alpine Blvd., Alpine;

-- El Cajon Police Department headquarters, 100 Civic Center Way;

-- Julian Sheriff's Station, 2907 Washington St., Suite C;

-- La Mesa Police Department headquarters, 8085 University Ave.;

-- Lemon Grove Sheriff's Station, 3240 Main St.;

-- San Diego State University, parking information booth, 6095 Canyon Crest Drive (off College Avenue);

-- Sycuan Tribal Police Station, 5522 Sycuan Road, Dehesa; and

-- , 10512 Mission Gorge Road, Santee.

Northern

-- Albertsons, 1459 Main St., Ramona;

-- Escondido Police Department headquarters, 1163 N. Centre City Pkwy.;

-- Fallbrook Sheriff's Station, 388 E. Alvarado St., Fallbrook;

-- Poway Sheriff's Station, 13100 Bowron Road;

-- Scripps Coastal Medical Center, 2176 Salk Ave., Carlsbad;

-- Scripps Encinitas Hospital, 354 Santa Fe Drive;

-- Scripps Rancho Bernardo Clinic, 15004 Innovation Drive, San Diego; and

-- Tri-City Hospital, 4002 Vista Way, Oceanside.

Southern

-- Coronado Police Department headquarters, 700 Orange Ave.;

-- Imperial Beach Sheriff's Station, 845 Imperial Beach Blvd.;

-- National City Police Department headquarters, 1200 National City Blvd.; and

-- Scripps Chula Vista, 435 H St.

Military (active-duty and retired service personnel, beneficiaries and staff only)

-- Marine Corps Air Station Miramar Branch Medical Clinic, Building 2496, Bauer Road;

-- Naval Hospital Camp Pendleton (near pharmacy building);

-- Naval Medical Center San Diego, 34800 Bob Wilson Drive;

-- Navy Exchange, Naval Base San Diego, 2260 Callagan Highway;

-- San Onofre parking lot (near MCX), Camp Pendleton; and

-- Twenty Area parking lot, Wire Mountain Road and Vandegrift Boulevard, Camp Pendleton.