By AMY JONES / Associate Editor

HOOVER — For Hoover residents, it’s a good time to clean out the medicine cabinet.

Capt. Jim Coker of the Hoover Police Department said the department will take back prescription drugs on two separate dates, April 23 and April 30.

“So many people have so much just sitting in medicine cabinets,” he said. “We don’t want that medication to be a temptation for somebody. This is a safe, easy way to get rid of medication you don’t want and don’t need.”

April 23 is the city’s Household Hazardous Waste Day, where the city and other companies will take hazardous waste from Hoover residents and dispose of the waste safely.

That event is from 8 a.m.-noon at the Regions Park stadium parking lot.

Participants may drop off items such as fireworks, pyrotechnics, flares, gun powders, military ordnance, relics, souvenirs, ammunition, explosives, reloading supplies, firearms, edged weapons, prescription medications, non-prescription drugs, aerosols, automotive fluids, batteries, caulk, glue, chemical drain cleaner, fluorescent light bulbs, household cleaners, paint and paint thinners, pesticides, herbicides, auto polish, furniture polish, solvents, stains, varnishes, standard vehicle tires, preservatives and waste cooking oil.

The event will also accept old flags, which will be turned over to the Boy Scouts for proper disposal.

Also, some electronic items may be disposed of at the event. These items include hard drives, monitors, keyboards, mouses, cables, wires, power supplies, televisions, radios, stereos and phones.

The police department will also participate in the National Prescription Drug Take Back Program on April 30.

“We participated last year in the National Take Back Day,” Coker said. “It was a bigger success than we anticipated.”

The event will be from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. The department will collect prescription drugs and dispose of them in a safe manner, Coker said.

The drop-off point will be at the parking lot behind Hoover City Hall.