Rend Lake College is partnering with the Drug Enforcement Administration to collect unwanted, unused, or expired prescription drugs from 10 AM to 2 PM this Saturday at the RLC MarketPlace in Mount Vernon.  The DEA only accepts pills and patches, not liquids, needles or sharps.  The service is free and anonymous with no question asked.  Last year, over 647,000 pounds of prescription drugs were turned into the DEA, totaling more than 3.4 million pounds collected at 4,114 sites since it began Take Back events.  Sustainability Professional Tyson Ellis said this is the second collection RLC has organized with the goal of keeping the environment clean and safe from prescription drug chemicals.  Medicines that languish in home cabinets are highly susceptible to diversion, misuse, and abuse.  Rates of prescription drug abuse in the U.S. 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, such as flushing them down the toilet or throwing them in the trash are both potential safety and health hazards.  For more information, contact Ellis at 618-437-5321, extension 1230.