Washington Co., WI – The Washington Ozaukee Public Health Department and Washington County Sheriff’s Office in cooperation with the Wisconsin Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), will participate in National Prescription Drug Take Back Day on Saturday, October 26 at the Washington County Highway Department, 900 Lang Street, in West Bend from 8 a.m. – 12 p.m.
This effort will continue to bring focus to the issue of prescription painkiller abuse in Wisconsin. Drug Take Back Day provides a safe, convenient, and responsible means of disposal, while also educating the community about the potential abuse and consequences of improper storage and disposal of these medications.
Unused or expired medicine should never be flushed or poured down the drain. Water reclamation facilities are not designed to remove all of them and trace amounts of pharmaceuticals are showing up in rivers and lakes.
GUIDELINES:
All waste pharmaceuticals must be generated by a household – no businesses are allowed.
Bring: Prescription (controlled and non-controlled) and over-the-counter medications, ointments, patches, inhalers, non-aerosol sprays, creams, vials and pet medications.
Do Not Bring: Illegal drugs, needles/sharps, acids, aerosol cans, bio-hazardous materials (anything containing a bodily fluid or blood), personal care products (shampoo, soaps, lotions, sunscreens), household hazardous waste (paint, pesticides, oil, gas), mercury thermometers.
· Participants may dispose of solid, non-liquid medication(s) by removing the medication from its container and disposing of it directly into a disposal box or into a clear sealable plastic bag. Plastic pill containers should not be collected. Blister packages without the medications being removed are acceptable.
· Liquids will be accepted during this initiative. However, the liquids, creams and sprays must be in their original packaging. Liquids without the original packaging will not be accepted.
· Illicit substances such as marijuana or methamphetamine are not a part of this initiative and should not be placed in collection containers.
Washington County continues to offer permanent drop boxes for year-round prescription medication disposal. Drop boxes are available during regular office hours at the Police Departments in Germantown, Hartford, Jackson, Kewaskum, Slinger, and West Bend.