Sheriff’s Office Prescription Drug
Take-Back Program
#LSN_Publicsafety #LSN_CookCounty
COOK COUNTY, MINNESOTA - October 26, 2018 (LSN) This Saturday, Cook County and Grand Portage residents are encouraged to participate in the Sheriff’s Office Prescription Drug Take-Back Program by dropping off unused or expired medications at either of two drop-off sites between 10 am and 2 pm:
- Cook County Law Enforcement Center – 143 Gunflint Trl
- Grand Portage Clinic – 62 Upper Rd
“Unused or expired prescription drugs can lead to poisoning, overdose and abuse,” said Chief Deputy Will Sandstrom. “Cleaning out medicine cabinets and ridding homes of unneeded medication greatly contributes to the prevention of pill abuse. Medications that sit in home cabinets are highly susceptible to theft, misuse and abuse.”
Safe disposal saves lives and protects the environment.
Please dispose of unused and expired prescription or non-prescription drugs responsibly.
- Do not leave them lying around unattended.
- Do not throw them in the trash or down the sink.
- Do not flush them down the toilet.
According to the 2016 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 6.2 million Americans misused controlled prescriptions and often obtained them from family and friends. In-home medicine cabinets are often the source of diverted prescriptions, making it critical for patients to properly dispose of unused prescriptions in a timely manner.
National Prescription Drug Take Back events take place in April and October each year and continue to remove ever-higher amounts of opioids and other medicines from the nation’s homes, where they could be stolen and abused by family members and visitors, including children and teens.
A medication drop-box is also available in the Law Enforcement Center lobby 365-days-a-year for anyone to turn in unwanted medication, any time.
This initiative is a partnership with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). The medications will be accounted for with the DEA and incinerated.
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