Many Wisconsin residents took advantage of a recent offer to help get rid of their old drugs. State officials say nearly 23 tons of expired, unwanted, or unused prescription drugs were dropped off at collection sites around the state last month.
The 180 “Take Bake” sites in the state were part of a larger nationwide effort to get those old medications off the streets and out of the hands of possible drug abusers. Those old medications should not be dumped down drains or thrown away in the trash, due to concerns of possible environmental contamination. Drugs dropped off at the sites are typically incinerated.
The state Department of Justice says about 45,581 pounds of unused drugs collected last weekend shows the public recognizes the importance of safely disposing of unused drugs. Similar efforts during all of 2012 collected about 30 tons of old medications.
The collection sites were part of a joint effort between the DOJ, the Department of Natural Resources, and the federal Drug Enforcement Agency. If you missed the collection event on April 27th, you can check with local police for any year-round sites operating in your area.
