The Suburban Times

A community bulletin board for Western Pierce County.

  • Home
  • To Know
  • To Do
  • To Ponder
  • Obituaries
  • Calendar
    • Submit an Event
  • Subscribe
  • Advertise
  • More
    • Share your story
    • Submit an Event
    • Contact

Turn in unused or expired medicines on April 27

April 25, 2013 By Ben Sclair

Pierce County News Release

Unwanted and unused prescription drugs can be harmful to people and the environment. You can safely dispose of these medicines – including controlled substances – during the nationwide drug “take back” day on Saturday, April 27. This one-day event will provide free, anonymous collection of unwanted or expired drugs between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. at the following locations:

•        Pierce County Sheriff’s Department South Hill Precinct, 271 John Bananola Way E., Puyallup

•        University Place Police Department, 3609 Market Place West Suite 201, University Place

•        Edgewood/Milton Police Department collection site, 2800 Milton Way, Milton in the Albertson’s parking lot.

•        Sprinker Rec Center Parking Lot, 14824 South C Street, Tacoma

There are 23 “take back” sites in Pierce County that operate year-round. Most are law enforcement agencies, but some pharmacies also participate. Only law enforcement agencies can accept controlled substances. The Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department maintains a directory of all 23 sites.

Take back programs are a good way to reduce the amount of medicines entering the environment. The federal Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the first National Prescription Drug Take Back Day in September 2010 in coordination with 3,000 law enforcement agencies throughout the United States. Citizens turned in more than 121 tons of pills, removing potentially dangerous prescription drugs and controlled substances from their medicine cabinets. Nearly 9,000 pounds were collected in the state of Washington.

Many Americans unknowingly create safety and health hazards by flushing unused medicines down the toilet or throwing them away. Drugs flushed down the toilet will eventually flow into water bodies like Puget Sound because most medicines are not removed by wastewater treatment processes or septic systems. Even medicines placed in the garbage could remain chemically active and escape into the environment when landfill liquids are sent to a wastewater treatment plant. Medicines in the garbage can present a risk to sanitation workers.

For more information:

DEA National Take Back Initiative: www.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/drug_disposal/takeback/

Programs in Washington state: www.takebackyourmeds.org/.

  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window)
  • More
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window)

Related

Top Stories

  • New Italian sandwich spot opens with a killer deli and take-out case
    New Italian sandwich spot opens with a killer deli and take-out case
  • Suspect charged with Child Rape
    Suspect charged with Child Rape
  • Tacoma Residents Asked to Complete Tree Canopy Coverage Survey
    Tacoma Residents Asked to Complete Tree Canopy Coverage Survey
  • Kiara Daniels announces campaign for Tacoma City Council District 6
    Kiara Daniels announces campaign for Tacoma City Council District 6
  • Seeing Through a Maze of Glass and Instructions - Recycling
    Seeing Through a Maze of Glass and Instructions - Recycling

Become a better informed citizen.

Join over 30,000 readers each month and get real-local news and information direct to your inbox, Monday-Saturday.


Recent Comments

  • Scott Anderson on Ria J. Johnson-Covington Seeks Open Lakewood City Council Seat
  • William Elder on A Whole New Year!
  • William Elder on A Whole New Year!
  • William Elder on A Whole New Year!
  • William Elder on A Whole New Year!

Contact Us

The Suburban Times
P.O. Box 39099
Lakewood, WA 98496

Ben Sclair, Publisher
253-312-1804

Stephen Neufeld, Marketing Executive
stephen@thesubtimes.com

Copyright © 2021 The Suburban Times • Log in • Privacy Policy

loading Cancel
Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
Email check failed, please try again
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.