Manhattan District Attorney Cy Vance said Thursday that the city faces a rising threat in prescription drug abuse, and residents will be given a chance to safely dispose of old prescription drugs next month so they don't fall into the wrong hands.

Vance teamed up with federal officials to announce the third National Prescription Drug Take-Back Program on October 29.

"Drug overdoses are killing more people in this country than car crashes. That means it's the number one cause of accidental death. That means it's ahead of gunshot wounds and ahead of car crashes, and these are mostly driven by prescription drugs, drugs coming out of the medicine cabinet,” said Gil Kerlikowske of the WH Office, National Drug Control Policy.

“There are too many people who are overdosing, too many people dying from access to prescription drugs and pills,” said Vance.

Meanwhile, demonstrators from the statewide organization Vocal New York protested outside the meeting, calling for an end to what they say is a failed War on Drugs.