Saturday is a National Drug Take-Back Day

Last session, my bill to establish a drug take-back program passed the Legislature. The Drug Take-Back Act created a first-in-the-nation, statewide drug take-back program funded and operated by drug manufacturers who profit from Washington consumers. The new law expands on the success of local take-back programs, and requires safe and secure, year-round drug drop-off sites to be operated all across the state.

While the statewide program won’t be fully implemented until next year, there are medication drop-boxes in many areas in Washington. You can find the locations of those drug take-back sites at www.takebackyourmeds.org, which is run by the Washington Poison Center. The site also includes information on requesting a prepaid return mailer for residents with limited mobility.

In addition, tomorrow, April 27th, is a National Drug Take-Back Day. Local law enforcement agencies across Washington will be participating with the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) to hold drug take-back events. You can find participating collection sites near you at takebackday.dea.gov.

Remember, disposing of your unused, expired, and leftover prescriptions and over-the-counter medications can help decrease drug misuse, reduce the risk of accidental poisonings, and is a piece of the solution to ending the opioid and suicide crises.

Learn more about the importance of safely disposing of unused medications in my recent video.

 

Please feel free to share this email and the video with your friends, families, and neighbors. Getting the word out is a key part of keeping our families and communities safe from the risks of allowing unused, expired, and leftover medicines to accumulate in our homes.

Sincerely,

Rep. Strom Peterson