National Prescription Drug Take Back Day Saturday

(KNSI) – National Perscription Drug Take Back Day is this weekend and state officials are urging Minnesotans to clear out their medicine cabinets. Drug Take Back Day is Saturday and officials want Minnesotans to drop off their unused painkillers and other drugs in local disposal bins.

Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison says National Prescription Drug Take Back Day is about protecting people from the ravages of opioids and other addictive drugs.

“Minnesotans have a great opportunity to dispose of unused and unwanted medications safely. And there is a direct line from the pills in your medicine cabinet to those struggling with heroin and drug addiction. Four in five heroin users started by misusing prescription painkillers.”

Addiction specialists say overdose deaths caused by opioids have risen 31% across the nation since the start of the pandemic. Ellison says that’s why it’s crucial to take old and unused medication and properly dispose of them. He asks Minnesotans to think about the consequences of holding onto old medicines.

Attorney General Keith Ellison’s Office Webinar

“Now, just imagine a loved one finding your unwanted pills and what may happen to them if you did not take advantage of the drug take-back day. They use those pills. Perhaps it furthers their addiction. And we all know that we have lost people to overdose.”

Experts say many people think dumping medication down the toilet is the easy way to get rid of it. But Ellison says disposing of drugs that way presents other problems.

“Flushing the medications is not safe for our environment or our water quality. The facilities that we have to filter water cannot filter out medicine from our water supply.”

This year’s event is the 20th National Drug Take Back Day. In St. Cloud, you can drop off unwanted medication at Stearns Law Enforcement Center and Walgreen’s Pharmacy at 2505 West Division Street. Other locations include the Sartell, Sauk Rapids, St. Joseph, Waite Park, and Cold Spring Spring Police Departments. Drugs can also be disposed of at the Benton County Sheriff’s Office and Rice City Hall.

The medication dropped into the collection bins is taken to an incinerator and burned.

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