In the aftermath of Drug Take Back Day this past Saturday, Take Back My Meds MKE reminds Milwaukee County residents that they can safely get rid of their unused medicines every day of the year at more than 80 locations throughout Milwaukee County which can be found at takebackmymeds.com. Residents do not need to wait for a special take back day, such as the one held this past Saturday, to safely dispose of unused medicine.
“The Drug Take Back Day organized by the Wisconsin Department of Justice, the federal Drug Enforcement Administration and other agencies was a good step, but residents need to know that it is dangerous to keep unused medicine in their home, sometime for months, as they wait for the next drug back day to come around,” said Jon Richards, Coalition Director for Take Back My Meds MKE.
“The easy availability of unused prescription medications is a major factor in overdose, which is the leading cause of accidental death in Milwaukee County. Roughly 80% of heroin users have used unused medicine to start or feed an addiction,” said Kari Lerch, Deputy Director Community Advocates Public Policy Institute.
In the past two years, Take Back My Meds MKE has helped place drop boxes for unused medicines in pharmacies and envelopes to mail back unused medicines at every City of Milwaukee Fire Department station.
“Roughly 90% of unused medicines go uncollected and consumers are unsure what to do with them,” said Amber Meyer Smith of Clean Wisconsin. “Unused medicines should never go into the toilet or the trash because that can send drugs to Lake Michigan, the source of Milwaukee’s drinking water.”
Residents of Milwaukee County can take back their unused medicine on any day of the year at one of more than 80 locations in the county. A map of all locations with either a drop box or drug disposal envelopes can be found at takebackmymeds.com.
Take Back My Meds MKE is a coalition of 17 community organizations and businesses dedicated to making it easier for Milwaukee County residents to combat the opioid crisis by safely disposing of unused medicine.
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