Have Unused Drugs? Turn Them in Saturday

AODA, Event 6 years ago Libby Holte Less than a minute to read

Healthy Sheboygan County 2020, in cooperation with the Wisconsin Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), will hold a Drug Take-Back Day from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. this Saturday, Oct. 28, at five locations throughout Sheboygan County.

This past spring, Sheboygan County residents turned in more than 600 pounds of unused medication and made the statewide effort a record success. Wisconsin was third in the country, behind Texas and California, disposing of 66,830 pounds of drugs.

This effort is put in place to stop the unsafe disposal of medications and prevent medication abuse. Unused or expired medicine should never be flushed or poured down the drain. Water facilities are not designed to remove all of them and do not want these medications in our lakes and rivers. Additionally, an important reason to dispose of medications is that more than two-thirds of people who have abused prescription painkillers got them illegally from a friend or family member. Proper disposal of unused medications can help prevent the risk of abuse.

There are five sites around the county that will be ready to take your unused medications. You don’t even have to get out of your car.

The five take-back locations in Sheboygan County will be open to accepting unused medications from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.:

» Howards Grove at Village Hall, 913 South Wisconsin Dr., Howards Grove

» Oostburg at Oostburg High School, 410 New York Ave., Oostburg

» Plymouth at Generations, 1500 Douglas Dr., Plymouth

» Random Lake at Fire Department, 718 Spring St., Random Lake

» Sheboygan at St. Nicholas Hospital, 3100 Superior Ave. Sheboygan Sheboygan County residents are also encouraged to utilize the permanent medication drop-boxes, located at five police departments throughout Sheboygan County:

» Elkhart Lake Police Department at 40 Pine Street, Elkhart Lake

» Kohler Police Department at 319 Highland Drive, Kohler

» Plymouth Police Department at 128 Smith Street, Plymouth

» Sheboygan Police Department at 1315 N. 23rd Street, Sheboygan

» Sheboygan Falls Police Department at 375 Buffalo Street, Sheboygan Falls

What can you bring?

Prescription, controlled and non-controlled, and over-the-counter medications, ointments, patches, inhalers, nonaerosol sprays, creams, vials and pet medications.

What is not allowed?

Illegal drugs, needles/ sharps, acids, aerosol cans, bio-hazardous materials which is anything containing a bodily fluid or blood, personal care products, shampoo, soaps, lotions, sunscreens, household hazardous waste such as paint, pesticides, oil, gas and mercury thermometers.

Please bring your liquids in a plastic bag and cross out your identifying information.

For more information, go to Healthy Sheboygan County 2020’s website healthysheboygancounty. org, email them off their website, and/or contact Libby Holte by phone (920) 459-3035.

Libby Holte, public health educator with the Sheboygan County Division of Public Health and is the co-chair for Healthy Sheboygan County 2020’s Leadership Council.