UPDATE (October 25, 2019): This story has been updated to include information about vaping supplies and e-cigarettes being accepted on Drug Take Back Day.

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Newtown Police are joining law enforcement and other community agencies across the state, the US Drug Enforcement Agency, along with the Connecticut Departments of Consumer Protection (DCP), Mental Health and Addiction Services (DMHAS), and Public Health (DPH), reminding families that this Saturday, October 26, is National Drug Take Back Day.

October 26 is an important opportunity for families to evaluate and empty medicine cabinets, especially approaching the holiday season when households tend to will have more people visiting who might intentionally seek out unsecured and/or unused prescription drugs as well as disposing of vaping and e-cigarette supplies.

A release from US Senator Richard Blumenthal and the Connecticut State Police urges owners of vaping and e-cigarette products to turn them in at collection boxes across the state. As vaping illnesses and deaths continue to rise, the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) will allow for vape pens or other e‐cigarette devices to be collected (only after batteries are removed from devices) for the first time.

From 10 am until 2 pm, anyone wishing to turn in unused pills, patches, or vaping products and supplies of any type can take them to Newtown Police Headquarters at 3 Main Street for curbside collection and disposal if desired.

A secure disposal box is always available inside the lobby for anyone who cannot make the October 26 event.

NPD and most other collection sites cannot accept liquids, needles, or other sharps.

Here are some ways the DCP is advising Connecticut families can participate in Take Back Day:

*Visit your local drug drop box.

There are nearly 100 permanent drug drop boxes in Connecticut where families can dispose of medication 24 hours a day. Find the list of drop box locations at ct.gov/dropbox.

*Properly dispose of medication at home.

For those who cannot make it to a drop box, medication can be safely disposed of at home using a drug disposal kit from a pharmacy, or by mixing medication with hot water and something undesirable (like used kitty litter or old coffee grounds), and placing it in a secure container before throwing it away.

Never flush medication down the toilet or the sink.

*Put Drug Disposal on the calendar.

National Drug Take Back days happen twice a year, and for many families that’s not enough. If necessary, take a minute to mark a calendar for a monthly, weekly, or other regularly scheduled time to dispose of medication once its use is finished.

Consumer Protection Commissioner Michelle H. Seagull says she and many others are aware that there is no single solution to the opioid crisis.

"We also know that we all can take small steps every day to improve the lives of those around us, and disposing of unneeded medication is one of those steps,” she added. "I hope that any Connecticut families with unneeded medication in their home will take this opportunity to empty their medicine cabinets, and plan to make drug disposal part of their routine.”

DMHAS Commissioner Miriam Delphin-Rittmon points out that prevention addiction before it begins is "an important part of addressing the opioid crisis in our state.

“We can all play a role in keeping prescription medications out of the wrong hands," she added. "By bringing your unneeded medications to a local drop box or drug take back event you can help keep your loved ones and community safer.”

DPH Commissioner Renée Coleman-Mitchell said the rates of prescription drug misuse in the United States and Connecticut are "alarmingly high," as are the number of unintentional poisonings and overdoses due to these drugs.

“Proper disposal of unneeded medication addresses a vital public safety and public health issue," Ms Coleman-Mitchell said. "Medicines that languish in home cabinets are highly susceptible to diversion, misuse, and abuse. Usual methods for disposing of unused medicines — flushing them down the toilet or throwing loose pills in the trash — both pose potential safety and health hazards, which is why it’s so important for residents to learn where to find a local drop box or drug take back event.”

According to a release from Newtown Police Department and the DEA, last fall Americans turned in 469 tons of prescription drugs for disposal across 6,300 sites on Drug Take Back Day. Since this program began, more than 11.8 million pounds of pills have been collected.

For more information, visit DEATakeBack.com.