RENO — From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, the Washoe County Sheriff’s Office and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) will give the public an opportunity to rid their homes of potentially dangerous, expired, unused and unwanted prescription drugs. Residents can bring medications for disposal to:

• Save Mart Pharmacy at 9750 Pyramid Hwy. in Sparks; or

• Raley’s Pharmacy at 18144 Wedge Pkwy. in Reno

The service is free and anonymous, no questions asked.

In April, Americans turned in 376,593 pounds —188 tons — of prescription drugs at nearly 5,400 sites operated by the DEA and more than 3,000 state and local law enforcement partners.

The round-ups are available several times a year to eliminate the potential for abuse, mis-use or dependence for those who have easy access to home medicine cabinets such as teenagers and children. In addition, residents are now advised that their usual methods for disposing of unused medicines — flushing them down the toilet or throwing them in the trash — both pose potential safety and health hazards. Round-ups will be available in the Truckee Meadows every four to six months. Citizens are asked to place their unused prescriptions in a secured area until they can be disposed of properly. But if they are unable to participate in a community round-up, they are encouraged to grind the drugs up, mix them with cat litter or used coffee grounds and dispose of them as quickly as possible.