Residents in Clark and Skamania counties dumped 4,683 pounds of unused and unwanted prescription and over-the-counter medicine in a drug take-back program Saturday.
Almost 1,500 people came to drop off their unused drugs, according to Educational Service District 112, one of the organizing agencies.
The busiest of the five drop-off sites was the Cascade Park Kaiser Permanente office, which had 657 participants bring in 1,923 pounds of pills and over 900 pounds of sharps.
Saturday’s numbers showed a significant increase from the previous drug drop-off event, held in October of last year, which collected 3,549 pounds of medications from 1,321 participants.
A majority of abused prescription drugs were obtained from family and friends, public health experts say, so disposing of leftover and unused medications prevents their misuse.
All the drugs collected Saturday were boxed and secured for destruction by the Drug Enforcement Administration.
There are several year-round collection sites in Clark County, and controlled substances such as painkillers and tranquilizers can be dropped off at participating law enforcement agencies and pharmacies.
Other drugs and medical supplies, such as over-the-counter medications, sharps and syringes, can be taken to participating transfer and recovery centers.
Visit ClarkGreenNeighbors.org/meds for more information.
