It’s time for spring cleaning, and this Saturday, locals holding onto expired or leftover prescription medications can do something more useful than moving them further back in the cabinet. April 22 marks the 24th Prescription Drug Take Back Day across the nation, and D.C.-area residents will have access to drop-off locations throughout the region.

The Drug Enforcement Administration initiative aims to provide a safe and convenient path to disposing of drugs, while educating the public on the dangers of abuse of such medications. Local agencies partner with the DEA and, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, will accept all unneeded tablets, capsules, patches, and other solid forms of prescription drugs for free and with no questions asked.

The DEA website features a collection site locator with tons of options listed within 100 miles in and around D.C. proper.

In the District, all police stations, Howard University, the University of the District of Columbia’s three campuses, and the Mount Pleasant and Benning libraries are participating.

Most nearby counties in Maryland and Virginia will accept medications  — including Fairfax, Loudoun, Prince William, Arlington, and Montgomery, Howard, and Prince George’s counties. Some police departments, such as Montgomery County’s, have 24-hour drop-off sites where prescription meds are accepted year round.

Drop-off sites will not accept needles, inhalers, aerosol cans, thermometers, hydrogen peroxide, lotions, or large-scale liquids. In some cases, sites may accept small liquids that are tightly sealed, as well as e-cigarettes and vaping devices with batteries removed. Some counties, such as Arlington, also offer free drug deactivation bags.

The Maryland State Police Department said last year it collected more than 570 pounds of unused medications during the October event. The agency also reporting that from January 2022 to January 2023, over 2,100 individuals had opioid-related fatal overdoses across Maryland, and that 320 were prescription opioid-related deaths.

The DEA says the initiative helps prevent overdoses and keeps drugs away from children who weren’t meant to handle or consume them.

“Too often, unused prescription drugs find their way into the wrong hands. That’s dangerous and often tragic,” the DEA said of the 2022 event on its website. “That’s why it was great to see thousands of folks from across the country clean out their medicine cabinets and turn in — safely and anonymously — a record amount of prescription drugs.”