Drug disposal day in Deer Park

The Deer Park Community Center set Sept. 10 as "Shed the Meds” Pharmaceutical Disposal Day for safely disposing of expired or unused prescription medication.

The event will be at the center at 41 Homer Ave. from noon to 2 p.m.

Suffolk County Legis. Steve Stern (D-Huntington) has partnered with the community center to host the communitywide event.

Organizers say environmentally safe disposal of prescription drugs helps protect drinking water from contamination from pharmaceutical residues, which occurs when people flush medications down the toilet or pour them down a sink. Organized safe disposal also guards against children gaining access to controlled substances.

Residents will be able to drop unused and expired medication into a locked box with no questions asked.