4,311 pounds of drugs collected at take-back event

Saturday’s drug take-back event, which was sponsored by nearly three dozen community groups, collected 4,311 pounds of medications and 1,307 pounds of sharps at eight sites in Clark, Skamania and Klickitat counties.

That’s 633 pounds more of medications than were collected during an October event, according to an Educational Service District 112 news release. Nearly half of the 1,623 participants reported it was their first time attending such an event, and 250 more people participated Saturday than in October.

“We’re pleased to see awareness is growing, and that people are seeing how important it is to properly dispose of unneeded and outdated medications –both to keep kids safe and to preserve the environment,” Prevent Coalition Project Coordinator Kelley Groen-Sieckmann said in the release.

The medications are boxed and transported for incineration by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.

Nearly 100 medication lockboxes were given to families with youth in grades 6 through 12 in the home. You can pledge to lock your meds, and download a free toolkit for the Locks Save Lives campaign at https://bit.ly/LocksSaveLives. The toolkit encourages parents, grandparents and guardians raising youth to lock up their prescription pain medication to reduce youth access to prescription opioids.

Unwanted medications can be disposed of year-round for free at several collection sites across Clark, Skamania and Klickitat counties. Visit www.takebackyourmeds.org for details on where to drop off medications for safe and proper disposal.