Disposing of Drugs Safely Can Save Lives

Tuesday, October 1, 2019
VolumeOne staff

When was the last time you cleaned out your medicine cabinet? If you can't remember the last time you did this or if you've NEVER done this before, now is the time to get rid of expired and unused prescription medication. Unused medications left in your cabinet have the potential to fall into the hands of those who shouldn't be using them. This could lead to drug abuse or accidental positioning. In Eau Claire County, 1 in 4 high school students reported prescription medications are easy to get without permission. They said they were able to get these prescriptions from friends or from within their own or relatives' homes. In addition, 70% of people who abuse prescription painkillers get them through friends or relatives. Proper medication disposal is one way to reduce the abuse of prescription medication. Do your part!

Keep your community safe by:

• Participating in the Rx Take Back Day on Saturday, Oct. 26, from 10am-2pm at the Altoona Police Department (1904 Spooner Ave.) and Marshfield Clinic Eau Claire Center (2116 Craig Road, Entrance B). The goal is to provide a safe, convenient and responsible way to dispose of medications, while educating the community about the potential dangers for abuse and consequences of improper storage and disposal.

• Dropping off your medications at one of the five permanent medication drop-boxes located throughout Eau Claire County. All locations accept medications year-round. To view "how-to" videos for each of the drop-off locations, please visit getinvolvedASAP.org.

Published by V1 on Friday, Sep. 27th, 2019

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