The next event to get prescription medications off the street is happening next week across the Northwoods.
The federal Drug Enforcement Administration sponsors the 9th annual Take Bake event through local law enforcement agencies.
Lt. Teresa Hook from the Oneida County Sheriff's Department outlines what happens...
".....any medications you no longer need or have expired you can take to these locations, leave them there, and we will dispose of them..."
Lt. Hook says it's very expensive to properly dispose of the medications, so they often get flushed down the toilet, causing environmental concerns. But another concern is having the medications hanging around the house could lead to abuse....
".....the DEA has done this for several years where they will give local law enforcement chances to take these medications in and they will take them and dispose of them for us so we can have them out of our county and not have to worry about them being disposed of improperly or being used by people not prescribed these medications...."
She says prescription medication theft occurs almost every day. She says people with these medications become vulnerable to someone coming into their home and stealing them, or children overdosing on drugs left around by adults. She says it's best to just get rid of the unneeded medicines before problems occur.
She says they shouldn't bring inhalers or syringes and names on bottles should be blacked out. No questions are asked and it's free of charge.
The collection is Saturday, September 27, from 10:00 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Rhinelander Police Department, Three Lakes Town Hall and at the Oneida County Landfill. The Mincoqua collection will be at the Marshfield Clinic Pharmacy from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Contact your local law enforcement agency in other parts of the Nortwoods for more information.
Last April in Wisconsin alone, more than 25 tons of meds were brought in for disposal.
