Nearly 2.5 tons of unused or expired prescription drugs were collected from communities throughout Kennebec County late last month as part of the 10th Drug Take Back Day. Statewide more than 10 tons were collected, according to a news release from Healthy Communities of the Capital Area.

Spearheaded by Healthy Communities of the Capital Area in partnership with law enforcement agencies, the initiative has been held twice a year since September 2010, but secure drug drop off is available year round.

“While Drug Take Back Day highlights ongoing efforts to encourage residents to safely and responsibly dispose of potentially dangerous unused or expired medications, area residents can also take advantage of permanent collection sites located at the Kennebec Sheriff’s Department and police departments in Augusta, Gardiner, Oakland, Waterville, Winslow and Winthrop,” said Joanne Joy, executive director of HCCA in the release. An additional site is at the Department of Public Safety and two sites are located at the Togus Veterans Administration.

“These drop boxes allow residents to anonymously and conveniently dispose of prescription drugs anytime during the year,” said Joy in the release.

Residents who are unable to travel can call the Kennebec Sheriff’s Office and a deputy will pick up the drugs.

The volume of drugs collected on Drug Take Back Day is an indication of how serious the problem is in Kennebec County, said interim Kennebec County Sheriff Ryan Reardon in the release.

“Removing nearly 2.5 tons of prescription drugs out of homes in Kennebec Valley translates into that many fewer drugs that can be abused by family members, taken accidentally or stolen. It is a major safety issue. In addition, outdated drugs can break down and be very hazardous,” Reardon said.

They also pose an environmental problem.

“Drugs that are thrown in the trash or flushed down the toilet can end in runoff from landfills and eventually get into our rivers and streams,” Reardon said.

All medications collected are taken to an in-state incinerator for safe disposal.

According to a 2013 report on substance abuse trends in Maine prepared by Hornby Zeller Associates Inc. for the Maine Office of Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services, in 2011 one in seven high school students reported misusing a prescription drug at least once in their lifetime.

In 2011, lifetime prescription drug misuse rates was highest among adults between the ages of 26 and 35; nearly one in 10 adults reported to have misused prescription drugs within their lifetime.

The next Drug Take Back Day is tentatively scheduled April 22, 2016.