In an effort to protect the environment and kids, the Danbury Police Department is hosting a Prescription Drug Take Back Day Saturday. 

The federal Drug Enforcement Administration says over half of teens abusing prescription medication get them from a family member or friend, including the home medicine cabinet without permission.  The DEA says most people flushed their unused prescription drugs down the toilet, threw them in the trash, or kept them in the household medicine cabinet.  They can be accidentally ingested, stolen, misused, and abused. 

While the number of Americans who currently abuse prescription drugs dropped in 2013 to 6.5 million, that is still more than double the number of those using heroin, cocaine, and hallucinogens like LSD and Ecstasy combined, according to the 2013 National Survey on Drug Use and Health.  The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says more than 22,000 Americans died in 2011 from overdoses of prescription medications, including 16,600 from narcotic painkillers. 

Danbury Spokesman Lt. Christian Carroccio says items not accepted including sharps, needles or syringes, radioactive medications including tracers, and chemotherapeutic medications.

Saturday's collection is from 10am to 2pm at Danbury Police Headquarters on Main Street.