Council recognizes Prescription Drug Take-Back Day, encourages safe disposal of unused drugs

April 25, 2011

Summary

Prescription drug abuse is growing in the U.S., with the primary source of those drugs being unused and expired medicines kept inside the home. The Metropolitan King County Council today gave its unanimous support to a national effort encouraging the safe disposal of unused drugs by recognizing the Federal Drug Enforcement Administration’s National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day, set for this Saturday, April 30.

Story

Council recognizes Prescription Drug Take-Back Day, encourages safe disposal of unused drugs.

The medicine cabinet is challenging the liquor cabinet as a way to get high. Prescription drug abuse is growing in the U.S., with the primary source of those drugs being unused and expired medicines kept inside the home. The Metropolitan King County Council today gave its unanimous support to a national effort encouraging the safe disposal of unused drugs by recognizing the Federal Drug Enforcement Administration’s National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day, set for this Saturday, April 30.

“Expired or unused prescriptions drugs are highly susceptible to abuse,” said Councilmember Reagan Dunn, the prime sponsor of the recognition. “Much of the prescription drug black market in this country comes from medicine cabinets. I urge everyone to know what is in their medicine cabinet. When medications have expired or you are no longer using them, please take this opportunity to dispose of them properly.

According to a 2009 national survey, rates of prescription drug abuse in the United States are alarmingly high, with more Americans currently abusing prescription drugs than those using cocaine, hallucinogens, and heroin combined. For many, prescription medications are the first drugs they abuse, and they’re obtained from the medicine cabinets of families and friends.

The goal of National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day is to get unused, unneeded and expired drugs out of homes and into the hands of agencies that can safely disposed of the medications. There is no cost for turning in the narcotics, a similar effort last fall resulted in 121 tons of drugs being taken out of homes across the nation.

Agencies participating in Drug Take-Back Day are:

AGENCY	ADDRESS
Seattle DEA	3600 Admiral Way SW Seattle, WA 98126
Seattle PD	South Precinct 3001 South Myrtle Street Seattle, WA 98108
Seattle PD	North Precinct 10049 College Way North Seattle, WA 98133
Seattle PD	Southwest Precinct 2300 SW Webster St. Seattle WA 98106
Seattle PD	East Precinct 1519 12th Avenue Seattle, WA 98122
Seattle PD	West Precinct 810 Virginia St Seattle, WA 98101
Port of Seattle PD	Fisherman’s Terminal 3919 18th Ave West Seattle, WA 98119
Port of Seattle PD	Shilshole Bay Marina 7001 Seaview Ave NW Seattle, WA 98106
Auburn PD	340 East Main Street Auburn, WA 98002
Kent PD	232 4th Ave S Kent, WA 98032
Des Moines PD	Bartell Drugs Parking Lot from 2pm to 6 pm 27055 Pacific Highway S Des Moines, WA 98198
Des Moines PD	Bartell Drugs Parking Lot from 9am to 1pm 21615 Pacific Highway S Des Moines 98198
Duvall PD	26225 NE Stephens ST Duvall, WA 98019
Bellevue PD	450 110th Ave NE Bellevue, WA 98004
Bellevue PD	Factoria Mall Substation 3915 Factoria BLVD SE WA, 98006
Bellevue PD	Crossroads Police Substation 1336 156th Ave NE Bellevue, WA 98008
Mercer Island PD	City Hall 9611 SE 36th St Mercer Island, 98040
North Bend PD	Park and Ride E North Bend Way at East McClellan St North Bend, WA 98045
Issaquah PD	130 East Sunset Way Issaquah, WA 98027
Federal Way PD	33325 8 Ave South Federal Way, WA 98003
Seatac PD	Seatac City Hall 4800 South 188th St Seatac, WA 98188
Snoqualmie PD	SnoFalls Credit Union 9025 Meadowbrook Way SE Snoqualmie, WA 98065