NATCHEZ — Miss-Lou residents will have the opportunity to clean out their medicine cabinets Saturday, while keeping the community safe of dangerous drugs.

This Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., the Adams County Sheriff’s Office, Metro Narcotics Agency, the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Substance Free Coalition of Adams County will give the public its ninth opportunity, in four years, to prevent pill abuse or theft of unused drugs.

The Adams County Jail lobby, located on 306 State St., will be the drop off location for the public.

The service is free and anonymous.

The “Take Back Initiative” is a national campaign initiated by the DEA and has been going on for the past four years.

According to the DEA, 780,158 pounds, or 390 tons, of pills were brought to the 6,072 collection sites that the DEA and its 4,423 state, local and law enforcement partners set up over the last four years.

The initiative addresses an essential public safety issue as medicines that are outdated or unused are vulnerable to abuse or theft.

“These annual DEA events provide a much needed service by reducing prescription drug abuse and trafficking,” said Sheriff Chuck Mayfield. “By properly disposing of these medications, the public makes their families and community safer.”

Mayfield said that statistics speak for themselves.

“Fifty four percent of Americans who abuse prescription medications get them from friends and relatives,” he said. “This may place elderly or infirm people in danger as targets of theft or abuse.”

Getting medications out of the home removes that threat and temptation, Mayfield said.

ACSO public information officer Courtney Taylor said now is the time to dispose of prescription drugs.

“This is a safe and environmental responsible way to dispose of your medication,” Taylor said. “Flushing is discouraged as the medication contaminates our water supply.”

Throwing drugs in the trash is not an option either.

“If someone finds it in your trash, they may decide to burglarize your home,” Taylor said. “Once the DEA collects the medication, they dispose of it properly.”

The Mississippi Department of Mental Health reported that in Adams County as of 2010 there are 1,292 sixth through eleventh graders reportedly taking prescription drugs. Those staggering statistics are why the SFCAC wanted to be involved and will continue to find different ways to educate the community about preventing prescription drug use, SFCAC Prevention Coordinator Abby Goldblatt said.