Roughly 70% of Wisconsinites hold onto old opioid prescriptions. Drug Take Back Day can help.
Cities across Wisconsin are taking part in a national effort to collect prescription drugs and, in doing so, prevent opioid abuse.
National Prescription Drug Take Back Day is an effort through the Drug Enforcement Administration where anybody can discard medications at collection sites across the country on Oct. 28 at various locations. More than 140 events are planned around the state, with more than 270 Wisconsin law enforcement agencies participating. Wisconsinites can dispose of unwanted and unused medications, no questions asked.
Expired and unused medications can fall into the wrong hands. Consider that less than 30% of opioid prescriptions are actually taken as prescribed for medical purposes. According to a recent study from Medical College of Wisconsin and the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, roughly 70% of people in Wisconsin hold onto their opioid prescriptions well past their need for medication, and it reaches nearly 90% in older Wisconsinites. One study found that leftover prescriptions accounted for nearly 40% of recreational use in high school seniors.
Flushing certain drugs down the drain can affect the water supply, and tossing pills in the trash has its own safety concerns if not done properly. Drug Take Back Day is a way to ease some of those safety concerns and to ensure that no prescription will find its way back into the community.
Northeastern Wisconsin sites participating in Drug Take Back
Drug Take Back Day is typically from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Oct. 28, but some collection sites have noted different dates and times:
N.E.W. Community Clinic, 610 N. Broadway, Green Bay
HSHS St. Mary’s Hospital Medical Center, 1726 Shawano Ave., Green Bay
Casa ALBA Melanie, 314 S Madison St., Green Bay (1-3 p.m. Oct. 26)
Allouez Village Hall, 1900 Libal St., Allouez (8 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Oct. 28)
Hobart/Lawrence Police Department, 2990 County GE, Hobart ( 7:30 a.m.-4 p.m. Oct. 28)
Wrightstown Police Department, 352 High St., Wrightstown
Kaukauna Police Department, 144 W. Second St., Kaukauna
Grand Chute Police Department, 1900 Grand Chute Blvd., Appleton
Bonduel Police Department, 207 S. First St., Bonduel
Menasha Police Department, 430 First St., Menasha
Bellin Health Oconto Hospital and Medical Center, 820 Arbutus Ave., Oconto
City of Gillett Police Department, 150 N. McKenzie St., Gillett
Shawano County Police Department, 405 N. Main St., Shawano
City of New Holstein Police Department, 2110 Washington St., New Holstein
Door County Sheriff's Office, 1201 S. Duluth Ave., Sturgeon Bay
To find dates, times and locations of other sites near you or for a list of permanent drop boxes near you, head to DHS' Dose of Reality Drug Take Back Day (https://tinyurl.com/yhyaf6zn)
Medications to bring to Drug Take Back Day
A Drug Take Back site will accept the following, according to the Wisconsin Department of Health Services:
Capsules
Creams
Inhalers
Non-aerosal sprays
Ointments
Patches
Pills
Vials
Vape pens (with the batteries removed)
The following are not appropriate for the prescription drop-off:
Aerosol cans
Anything containing blood or a bodily fluid
Household hazardous waste (paint, pesticides, oil, gas)
Illegal drugs
Iodine containing medications
Mercury thermometers
Personal care products (shampoo, soaps, lotions, sunscreens, etc.)
Sharps/syringes
Vape pens/e-cigarette devices with a built-in battery that cannot be removed
Natalie Eilbert covers mental health issues for USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin. She welcomes story tips and feedback. You can reach her at neilbert@gannett.com or view her Twitter profile at @natalie_eilbert. If you or someone you know is dealing with suicidal thoughts, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988 or text "Hopeline" to the National Crisis Text Line at 741-741.
This article originally appeared on Green Bay Press-Gazette: National Prescription Drug Take Back Day in Wisconsin is coming
