LAKEPORT, Calif. – The Lakeport Police Department said it is establishing new hours for accepting medication for safe disposal at its headquarters.

Starting Monday, March 4, the Lakeport Police Department will continue to accept the safe disposal of medications each business day, Monday through Thursday between the hours of noon and 4 p.m.

The location for the medication disposal is still at the police station at 2025 S. Main St.

The Lakeport Police Department opened a safe medication disposal collection site at the department in January.

So far, the agency has seen people from all around Lake County coming into the station to safely dispose of more than 72 pounds of unused or unneeded medication.

The safe medication disposal safe was donated to the Lakeport Police Department by the Rite Aid Foundation KidCents Project which is committed to supporting the safety and well-being of children in our communities.

Additionally, there is no cost for community members to dispose of the described medications at the station and the agency will not collect information on people disposing of them.

Persons bringing in medications will be required to check in with a department staff member so that they can verify that only acceptable items are being placed in the container.

All medications shall be in their original container, other suitable plastic pill container or sealed plastic freezer bag. If the prescription medications are in the original container, they do recommend that persons remove their personal information from the label.

The following are examples of what they will accept: All over-the-counter or prescription medication in pill, tablet or capsule form including schedule II-V controlled and non-controlled substances.

Examples of items they will not accept with this program are illegal drugs, needles, liquids, inhalers or aerosol cans.

To continue efforts with this mission, this April the Lakeport Police Department will join the DEA National Prescription Take Back Day with a local event.

Several thousand police agencies are expected to hold events throughout the United States on the same day. These events typically take in around 900,000 pounds of prescription drugs.

The Lakeport Police Department said it will post more details in March when the local event is confirmed.