Medicine take-back nets record pill levels

A medicine takeback event at four drop-off points around Clark County collected nearly a ton of pills April 30.

A record 1,993 pounds of unused or old prescription and over-the-counter medications were dropped off by 1,020 people, according to Joy Lyons, Prevent! Project Director.

The busiest collection site was Cascade Park Kaiser Permanente, where 430 people brought in almost 920 pounds of pills.

Plastic pill bottles will be recycled, and the pills will be incinerated.

The “Take Back Your Meds” drug disposal event is held twice a year by partners, including several law enforcement agencies, Clark County Environmental Services, Prevent! The Substance Abuse Prevention Coalition of Clark County, Kaiser Permanente, Clark College and La Center United.

Unwanted medications should not be flushed down the toilet or dumped down the drain because they can pollute the environment. A 2014 state survey found that 6 percent of high school seniors admitted misusing prescription dugs. Most teens get the drugs from friends and relatives, sometimes without the person knowing, according to the Prevent! press release.

For a list of year-round medication and syringe disposal sites in Clark County, go to www.clark.wa.gov/environmental-services/unwanted-medications.