Unused Medication Collection Events Planned

Law enforcement officers at locations across the state will be collecting unused medications for safe disposal this Saturday.

According to the Kansas Attorney General’s Office, the collection events are part of a nationwide effort to safely dispose of leftover medications to prevent accidental or intentional misuse.

Medications will be accepted at drop-off sites across the state from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. this Saturday. To find a location, visit www.ag.ks.gov and look for the “Drug Take Back Day” button under the “Quick Links” heading. If there isn’t a nearby location listed, please check back as there are additional locations added until the day of the event.

Locally, Salina Regional Health Center and the Saline County Sheriff’s Office will be participating. Drive through the Salina Regional Health Center main entrance circle drive and drop off your unwanted medicine anonymously knowing the drugs will be disposed of safely.

Since the Drug Take-Back Day program began in 2010, more than 110 tons of unwanted medications have been collected and destroyed in Kansas alone.

The National Drug Take-Back Day is coordinated by the federal Drug Enforcement Administration, which collects and safely destroys the medications.

Medicines that languish in home cabinets are highly susceptible to diversion, misuse and abuse. Nationwide, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates opioid overdoses kill nearly 130 Americans every day. According to the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, pharmaceutical opioids are a leading cause of drug poisoning deaths in Kansas.

Studies show a majority of abused prescription drugs are obtained from family and friends, including from the home medicine cabinet. In addition, Americans are now advised that traditional methods for disposing of unused medicines – flushing them down the toilet or throwing them in the trash – pose potential safety and health hazards and should be avoided.

Unused prescriptions can be turned in year-round at many local law enforcement locations. Kansans should contact their local sheriff’s office or police department for more information.