Seattle Police collect 697 pounds of unwanted medications

Saturday was National Drug Take Back Day and people dropped off expired, unwanted or unused prescription medications at the five Seattle Police Department precincts.  According to Seattle Police, a total of 697.15 pounds of unwanted medications were dropped off.  Here is the precinct break-down:

-- North Precinct-176.50 pounds
-- West Precinct-170.70 pounds
-- South Precinct-43.55 pounds
-- East Precinct-67.95 pounds
-- Southwest Precinct-238.45 pounds

Since Washington State does not have a statewide medicine return program, it is often difficult for people to get rid of unused medications in an environmentally safe way.  With youth prescription drug abuse on the rise in Washington State, getting rid of unused medicines is one prevention tool for families.

Saturday's event was was another great success and there will be another one again in the fall.  In the meantime, learn more about establishing a permanent statewide medicine return program at the Take Back Your Meds website.

Take Back Your Meds Coalition receives public health award

Congratulations Take Back Your Meds Coalition for receiving a 2012 Health Champions Award from the Washington State Public Health Association!  The coalition received the award under the Alcohol/Tobacco/Other Drug Prevention category.  According to the WSPHA website:


Take Back your Meds, a coalition of 270 organizations from across Washington, supports medicine take back programs aimed at reducing access to unwanted medicines, risk of poisoning and environmental contamination. Coalition members include law enforcement and environmental groups, medical organizations and wastewater agencies, working family and natural resources organizations.  Over the last several years, the coalition has successfully worked to increase awareness of the problem of unwanted medications and improper disposal methods.  Coalition members have taken the initiative (and supported the cost) of operating temporary take back programs in 17 of Washington’s 39 counties, collecting over 160,000 pounds of medicines.  Additionally, they have also dedicated significant time and effort to pass legislation to create a secure, statewide medicine take-back program provided by pharmaceutical manufacturers. While legislation has not yet been passed, these efforts did garner extensive media coverage, with over 40 articles published in 2012 alone, reinforcing the importance of this issue.

National Pharmaceutical Take-Back Day April 28

Click here for more information including the location of a collection site near you.

For local information, visit the Take Back Your Meds website.  The website includes a Take Back Your Meds handout that explains two key messages: Washington needs an ongoing statewide take-back program and drug companies, not taxpayers, should provide take-back programs!

Medicine take-back programs are important because they are one tool for preventing prescription drug abuse among teenagers.  Please consider publicizing the April 28 event among your colleagues, friends, neighbors and family members.  Locally, Bartell Drugs and Group Health have permanent prescription drug (except narcotics) return programs.