Editorials and Articles in Support of Medicine Take-Back

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February 9, 2012 Herald Net: In Our View "Industry Should Pay the Tab" The Legislature would do a favor for public safety and strapped police budgets by finally creating a permanent program for disposing of left-over medicines. That's the idea behind Senate Bill 5234. It's a sensible, straight-forward proposal that's strongly supported by police as well as organizations that deal with addiction and accidental poisoning.
February 8, 2012 The News Tribune: Letter to the Editor "DRUGS: Industry Should Fund Disposal" Carl Anderson of Tacoma, a former FDA employee who oversaw the disposal of a large warehous of other-the-counter drugs writes: The News Tribune's support of the 2012 Secure Medicine Take-Back Bill, SSB 5234, is right on target. The pharmaceutical industry has consistently been among the most profitable in the United States. The safe disposal of medicines is a very important issue.
February 8, 2012 Mukilteo Beacon "Unused Drugs a Public Health Problem" There's a growing health issue locally that seems to have a fairly painless solution, but Washington state lawmakers can't seem to figure it out. A proposed Secure Medicine Return Bill (SB 5234) would provide a permanent disposal program for unused medicines that endanger our communities.
February 8, 2012 Bremerton Patriot: Guest Column "The Family Drug Dealer" Kitsap Sheriff Stephen Boyer - For once there is a solution that is simple, straightforward, cost-effective and endorsed by a wide coalition of organizations, including those of us in law enforcement. It's the Secure Medicine Return Bill, Senate Bill 5234. Failure to act is a prescription for disaster.
February 8, 2012 Central Kitsap Reporter: Guest Column "The Family Drug Dealer" Kitsap Sheriff Stephen Boyer - For once there is a solution that is simple, straightforward, cost-effective and endorsed by a wide coalition of organizations, including those of us in law enforcement. It's the Secure Medicine Return Bill, Senate Bill 5234. Failure to act is a prescription for disaster.
February 8, 2012 Kitsap Sun-MY TURN :Letter to Editor "Medicine Take-Back Bill Deserves Support" Kitsap Sheriff Steve Boyer - For once there is a solution that is simple, straightforward, cost-effective and endorsed by a wide coalition of organizations, including those of us in law enforcement. It's the Secure Medicine Return Bill, Senate Bill 5234. Failure to act is a prescription for disaster.
February 8, 2012 The News Tribune "Drug Companies Should Step up to Disposal Problems" The legislation - the 2012 Secure Medicine Take-Back Bill - would create a statewide system for returning unused or expired medications. Financed and managed by the drug companies that profit from the sales, the private-sector program overseen by state health officials would cost the drug makers about 2 cents per container of medicine and no more than $2.5 milion per year.
February 7, 2012 The Associated Press "Washington Bill Would Require Drug Makers to Take Back Drugs" The bill's prime sponsor, Senator Adam Kline, says he has majority support for Senate Bill 5234, which awaits a vote by the full Senate. The Bellingham Herald is reference above - article published in 23 Washington State markets. Click here to see list.
February 7, 2012 Bellevuereporter.com "Senate Bill Would Have Drug Companies Pay for Disposal of Unused Prescriptions" Local and state law enforcement officials are lining up behind a bill that would help people get unused prescription drugs out of their medicine cabinets. Senate Bill 5234 would create a non-profit organization that collects, transports and disposes of drugs from residents. Bellevue Police Chief Linda Pillo said the city has staffed and participated in three such days (...DEA Take-Back Days), but that is not nearly enough. As much as Pillo would like to run her own take back program, declining revenue has made that impossible, leaving it up to private sources.
February 5, 2012 The Olympian "Putting Unused Drugs in the Right Place" It's time lawmakers show support for Senate Bill 5234, a critical piece of legislation that will help reduce drug overdoses, accidental poisonings and pollution of the state's water resources. The current system of voluntary and temporary drop-off centers for unused and unwanted drugs is not a long-term solution to an epidemic of poisonings, abuse and overdoses from medicines left stored in homes.
February 5, 2012 HeraldNet.com "Unused Medicine a Toxic Dilemma" Cmdr. Pat Slack leads the Snohomish County Drug and Gang Task Force and is a strong supporter of the bill. "The bottom line is this is common sense," he said. "There is no silver bullet out there to stop drug abuse. We need to address as many contributing factors of it as we can. A medicine cabinet is one of the most vulnerable locations because most people do not keep their medications under lock and key."
February 4, 2012 The Columbian "Drug Companies Oppose Bill to Make Them Take-Back Medicine" The bill would require producers to manage and finance a nonprofit responsible for collecting and destroying the drugs. The drug companies would have the freedom to design the take-back program - whether it's collection sites, regular take-bac events or accepting returns via email. "The reasons why we have a prescription abuse problem in this country are complicated...providing a safe and responsible way to take back medications and dispose of them is part of the solution."
February 4, 2012 Everett Herald "Take-Back Bill a Prescription for Safety" The family medicine cabinet is increasingly becoming a deadly drug dealer; stuffed with expired and leftover prescription and over-the-counter medicines that can be dangerous to your family's health and to our environment. For once, there is a solution that is simple,straightforward, cost-effective and endorsed by as wide a coalition of organizations as you will ever see, including those of us in law enforcement.
February 3, 2012 Edmonds Beacon News "Unused Drugs a Public Health Problem" There's a growing health issue in Edmonds that seems to have a fairly painless solution, but Washington state lawmakers can't seem to figure it out. Unused medicines (such as those we all have left over in our medicine cabinets) are contributing to drug overdoses, which is now the most common cause of accidental death in Washington, superseding car accidents, with an average of two death per day. A proposed Secure Medicine Return Bill (SB 5234) would provide a permanent disposal program for unused medicines that endanger our communities.
January 31, 2012 Lake Stevens Journal "What's in Your Medicine Cabinet? Many of us end up flushing old meds down the toilet or throw them in our garbage cans. Some even toss them down their sinks. "That's when the drugs that are designed to improve our lives, contaminate our water and soil. The Secure Medicine Return Bill would help reduce both dangers."
January 31, 2012 Bremerton Patriot "Health district supports second run at drug take back bill" Central Kitsap Reporter "Health district supports second run at drug take back bill". The health district's board of directors and the Kitsap County Sheriff's Office are supporting Senate Bill 5234 to establish a safe drug collection and disposal program funded by the drug manufacturers themselves.
January 26, 2012 The Columbian "In our view: Danger in your cabinet. Legilators should approve statewide pharmaceuticals take-back program" It's easy to see why this proposal is supported by the Washington Association of Sheriffs & Police Chiefs, the Association of Northwest Pharmacies, the Washington Association for Substance Abuse & Violence Prevention, the Washington State Association of Counties and many other groups. They all understand that the best place for unwanted pharmaceuticals is not home medicine cabinets, waiting for crooks or addicts.
January 25, 2012 The Marysville Globe "Many see need for drug take-back program" The Arlington Times "Many see need for drug take-back program" Snohomish County could serve as the model for a proposed drug take-back program designed to save lives statewide, which is why Snohomish County Sheriff John Lovick is among those urging citizens to contact their state legislators to voice their support for it.
January 24, 2012 Stanwood Camano News"Pharmaceutical companies need to own up to its responsibilities". It's time that every company wraps into its cost of business recycling or safely disposing of the product they produce and profit from - future generations depend upon it.
January 22, 2012 InvestigateWest's "Prescription for Abuse" series launched in The Spokane Spokesman-Review and online articles on Crosscut and InvestigateWest. - Drug industry has so far stalled safety and pollution measure - Prescription drug abuse, deaths target of new Washington law - Prescription for abuse: Washington tries to get serious Check out these blog posts in response to InvestigateWest's Prescription for Abuse series. - January 23, 2012 - Ed Silverman Pharma fights effort to dispose of unused meds - January 23, 2012 - BioJobBlogger Is there any wonder why big pharma has a PR problem?
January 20, 2012 The Spokesman-Review "Bill aims at appropriate disposal of old drugs". Washington legislators are considering a new way to contain one of our drug problems: collecting the containers.
January 18, 2012 Snohomish County Tribune "Bill requires drug companies to pay for safe, secure drug disposal". The bill requires pharmaceutical companies to set up a statewide program that would allow people to safely dispose their unused prescription pills. The bill caps the cost to pharmaceutical companies at $2.5 million a year, which equals about a couple of pennies per prescription sold in the state.

Associated Press Article Published February 7, 2012
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	Longview Daily News	The Seattle Times
	Mid Columbia Tri City Herald	The Seattle Times
	MyNorthwest.com	Bellingham Herald
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	The Olympian	The Columbian
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Editorials and Articles in Support of Medicine Take-Back

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Associated Press Article Published February 7, 2012

Medicine Disposal Locations