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Did you know that one in four teens has misused or abused prescription medications? Most often they get them from a family medicine cabinet.
Keeping expired or leftover prescriptions in the home can lead to accidents, overdoses, or abuse. But you can now safely dispose of unwanted prescription pills at locations in 14 Upper Peninsula counties, including state police posts, city and tribal police departments, and retail pharmacies.
This month, Baraga County Communities That Care is helping publicize local drug dropbox locations as communities across the country seek to stem the growing epidemic of opioid addiction. Proper disposal of unneeded prescriptions and over-the-counter medications helps prevent substance abuse. Safe disposal—rather than flushing pills down toilets or burying them in landfills—also reduces groundwater contamination.
In Baraga County, you can safely dispose of unwanted prescription pills at these locations and times: Keweenaw Bay Tribal Police (Normal Business Hours); and Baraga County Sheriff’s Department (Normal Business Hours).
Law enforcement officers remind you to always transport medications in their original containers. At some locations, you may need to transfer the pills into a plastic bag before putting them in the dropbox.
Baraga County Communities That Care is working to make Baraga County a safer and healthier place for youth. For more information on drug take back sites or Baraga county Communities That Care, contact Carrie Rich at (906) 201-4024 or baragacountyctc@gmail.com. Our coalition is part of U.P. Coalition Network, and campaigns like this one are going on across the Upper Peninsula. You can download a list of U.P. drug take back sites at UPprevention.org/dispose
