The annual Prescription Drug Take-Back Day will be held again on Saturday, Sept. 27, with several local law enforcement agencies taking part.

The federal Drug Enforcement Agency is sponsoring the event, the ninth time it’s done so on a nationwide basis. DEA Special Agent in Charge Clay Morris, along with U.S. Attorney Joyce White Vance, held a press conference Friday at White’s office in Birmingham to announce this year’s event.

“Over the past several years, Alabama has seen a significant increase in the use and abuse of opiate-based prescription drugs,” Morris said. “Unfortunately, the untreated abuse of opiate-based drugs will lead to the beginning of a cycle of addition that will end in the use of heroin. As we all know, heroin overdose deaths are at record numbers in the Birmingham area.”

In north Jefferson County, the DEA website lists the following locations for the take-back drive:

• Gardendale Police Department, 1309 Decatur Highway
• Jefferson County Sheriff Center Point Substation, 2651 Center Point Rd.
• Birmingham Police Department North Precinct, 2600 31st Ave. N., North Birmingham

No locations are listed in Blount County.

These locations will be open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. It’s intended for prescription drugs that have expired, or that are no longer being used. The service is free and anonymous — no questions asked. However, no liquids or needles are accepted.

While these annual events have been very successful over the years with more than 4.1 million pounds of pills being taken in, the agency will soon have a permanent year-round method for accomplishing the same goal.

A new federal regulation handed down last week will allow the DEA to authorize pharmacies, hospitals and clinics to accept expired or unused pills. In addition, long-term care facilities such as nursing homes will be able to accept such pills from their resident patients. There will even be a way for people to mail in unused pills to authorized collectors.