NKU’s Responsible Education About Life Peer Educators — also known as the R.E.A.L. Peer Educators — are accepting any unwanted or expired prescription pills and patches this Thursday in conjunction with the Drug Enforcement Agency’s semi-annual “Drug Take-back Day” event on Saturday.

From 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Student Union Plaza, anyone can freely and anonymously drop off their unused prescription drugs for safe disposal by the DEA.

Siobhan Ryan-Perry, the Alcohol and Drug Clinician for Health, Counseling, and Student Wellness at NKU, is working with the R.E.A.L. Peer Educators in putting on the event, not only to prevent the diversion of prescription drugs, but also to prevent the drugs from harming the environment.

“We try to get as many [unused] prescription drugs as possible out of people’s homes, so that they’re not flushed down toilets, so they’re not affecting the environment, and so they’re not stolen or given to people who are not prescribed the drugs,” Ryan-Perry said.

This is the second time NKU has participated in the event. Ryan-Perry is looking forward to another successful event after last year’s turnout.

“[Last semester] it went really well. Campbell County [Drug Free Alliance] came and brought us a box, and we filled up a box and a half full of prescription drugs,” Ryan-Perry said.

The Drug Take-back Day event this fall is happening concurrently with National Collegiate Alcohol Awareness Week. Ryan-Perry and the R.E.A.L. Peer Educators are also participating in this Awareness Week with other events to encourage students to be mindful of the dangers of substance abuse.

If you cannot attend the event at NKU but would still like to offer your unwanted prescription pills or patches for disposal during the national event on Saturday, you can search for a collection site on the website of the DEA’s Office of Diversion Control.