Drug take-back day set Saturday

Police in Orange County will collect unused pills Saturday as part of a U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration program designed to prevent prescription drug abuse.

Anyone can anonymously drop off pills or medicated patches at locations in Irvine, Newport Beach and Costa Mesa between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., according to police departments in those cities.

Needles and liquids will not be accepted.

Collection locations include the Oasis Senior Center at 800 Narcissus Ave. in Newport Beach, the Costa Mesa Police Department at 99 Fair Drive and the Kaiser Permanente Irvine Medical Center at 6670 Alton Parkway.

This is the ninth time in the past four years that the DEA has held a drug take-back day.

Prescription drug abuse is a growing problem, according to a report released in 2013 by the Orange County Sheriff’s Department, which said that overdoses from those substances more than doubled in a 13-year span.

Deaths from prescription drug overdoses have become more common in Orange County than those caused by illegal drugs, the report indicated.

In 1999, 129 people died from overdosing on illicit drugs, compared with 88 from prescription drugs, according to the report. Twenty-one died from a combination of the types.

In 2012, 188 people died from overdosing on prescription drugs, while 65 died from illicit drugs, the report said. Seventy-seven died from a combination.

— Jeremiah Dobruck

Twitter: @jeremiahdobruck