Old drugs accepted nationwide on Saturday

In late September, Americans turned in 121 tons of pills during the nation's first mass collection of old or unneeded prescription drugs, according to the U.S. Justice Department.

Saturday is National Take Back Day No. 2.

Thousands of dropoff sites across the country will be accepting unwanted medications from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Supermarkets, churches, municipal buildings and police stations are among the more than 100 locations in the Philadelphia area, and chances are good your town has one.

To find a site, go to www.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/drug_disposal/takeback/index.html. New Jersey also has a helpful website, http://www.operationtakebacknj.com. On the map, click on a county to find its locations.

Presciption-drug abuse is a major health concern, and the drugs used often come from home medicine cabinets or from friends or family members.

"Each day, approximately, 2,500 teens use prescription drugs to get high for the first time, according to the Partnership for a Drug Free America," the Justice Department's website says.

Also, proper disposal prevents pharmaceuticals from becoming environmental hazards. Some have turned up in the drinking water supplies of millions of Americans. Chemicals can wind up there after flushed down toilets, or from landfill leakage. Antibiotics can kill helpful bacteria in septic systems.