Saturday is National Drug Take Back Day: Here you can take your unused medications with you

Taking prescription medications can cause side effects. One of them is that you or a family member receives medication that you or a family member no longer needs but that you should not throw in the trash or down the toilet.

That's why the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration has created National Prescription Drug Take Back Day, which this year will take place on Saturday, October 26, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Accepted items include:

• Prescription medications
• Over-the-counter medications
• Vitamins
• Medicines for pets
• Medicated ointments or lotions
• Inhalers
• Drug samples

The following items cannot be accepted:

• Needles, lancets or syringes
• Bloody or infectious waste
• thermometer
• Aerosol cans
• Empty containers
• Personal care products
• Hydrogen peroxide
• Operational waste
• Vapor cartridges or batteries

Participating dispensaries around West Alabama include:

• Northport Police Department, 3721 26th Ave. in Northport
• Tuscaloosa Police Headquarters, 3801 Trevor S. Phillips Ave. in Tuscaloosa
• TPD West Precinct, 1501 Culver Road in Tuscaloosa
• TPD East Precinct, 2512 E. University Blvd. in Tuscaloosa
• Tuscaloosa County Sheriff's Office, 714 Greensboro Ave. in Tuscaloosa
• University of Alabama Police Department, 1110 Jackson Ave. in Tuscaloosa
• UA Student Center, 751 Campus Drive W. in Tuscaloosa
• Lake View Police Department, 22765 Central Park Drive in Lake View
• Tuscaloosa VA Medical Center, 3701 Loop Road in Tuscaloosa
• Woodstock Police Department, 28513 Alabama Route 5 in Woodstock
• Bibb County Sheriff's Office, 157 SW Davidson Drive in Centerville