The Hopkinton Police Department will accept unused medication (no liquids) and used needles in the station lobby (74 Main St.) on Aug. 17 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The department will properly dispose of the items.

According to a press release from the department, this program addresses a vital public safety and public health issue. Medicines that languish in home cabinets are highly susceptible to diversion, misuse and abuse. Rates of prescription drug abuse in the United State are alarmingly high, as are the number of accidental poisonings and overdoses due to these drugs. Studies show that a majority of abused prescription drugs are obtained from family and friends, including from the home medicine cabinet. In addition, Americans are now advised that their usual methods for disposing of unused medicines — flushing them down the toilet or throwing them in the trash — both pose potential safety and health hazards.