Safe Disposal to Reduce Drug Abuse. Prescription drug abuse is the fastest-growing drug problem in the country. In Washington State, almost 11% of teens use medicines for non-medical reasons – a rate that’s among the highest in the nation. The abuse of medicines by teens often results in medical emergencies or fatal overdoses. Most abusers of medicines, including teens, get the drugs from a friend or relative – not from a drug dealer. A safe medicine take-back program gets potentially dangerous leftover drugs out of our homes. Learn more.
Safe Disposal to Reduce Accidental Poisonings. Unwanted medicines left in the home endanger our children, seniors and pets. Poisonings from prescription and over-the-counter medicines are increasing. About half of the 37,000 phone calls to the Washington Poison Center concern young children who have been poisoned by medicines found at home. Getting rid of unwanted medicines at a take-back program is an important part of being safe in the home. Learn more.
Safe Disposal to Reduce Medicines in the Environment. Large amounts of powerful medicines go unused or expire and the way we dispose of them makes a difference for our waters and our environment. For years, the advice was to flush our drugs or mix them with kitty litter and throw them in the garbage. Flushing drugs sends them directly into our waters, harming the environment. Drugs thrown in the garbage are available for others to take and use, and can still get into the environment. Returning medicines to a take-back program is the only environmentally sound method for disposing of unused medicines. Learn more.
Medicine take-back programs are the only secure and environmentally sound way to dispose of leftover and expired medicines. Washington currently has several ongoing drop-off programs . Ongoing drop-off programs are the most convenient, cost-effective, and secure approach. They are considered temporary because funding for these programs are temporary or uncertain. Learn how medicine take back programs work.
