Saturday is National Drug Take Back Day in Michigan

Tomorrow, Saturday April 24th is Drug Take Back Day here in Michigan and across America. The idea started back in 2010, allowing citizens to safely dispose of unwanted meds. Our pandemic has not been kind when it comes to substance abuse. People starting or increasing the abuse of drugs rose by 13% since the pandemic started, and opioid overdoses increased by 33% at the beginning of the pandemic in 2020.

Mibluesperspectives.com reports

Disposing of old prescriptions and unused medications is an important step to minimize potential abuse. However, flushing them down the drain or the toilet is not the way to go. Since medicine doesn’t lose potency just because it’s expired, flushing it away doesn’t mean it’s gone. Research has linked water contamination via prescription disposal with abnormalities in aquatic species like fish. When medicines are flushed or thrown in the garbage, they also can get into local waters.

During Take Back Day last year the DEA collected more than 980,000 pounds of drugs. Drop off locations are all around Michigan, you will find medical centers and universities, along with State Police posts accepting your unwanted medicine. We’ll list a few in Lansing locations at the end of this article.

Justice.com reports

To keep everyone safe, collection sites will follow local COVID-19 guidelines and regulations. Given the ongoing COVID-19 public health emergency, DEA wants to ensure that the public is aware of other ways they can dispose of unwanted prescription drugs without having to leave their homes. More information is available here.

Drop off locations are available all over the state of Michigan, but here are a few Mid-Michigan locations for drop off:

Michigan State Police Lansing Post 7119 N Canal Rd, Lansing, MI 48913
Grand Ledge Police Department 310 Greenwood St, Grand Ledge, MI 48837
St. Johns Police Department 409 S Whittemore St, St Johns, MI 48879
Portland Police Department 773 E Grand River Ave, Portland, MI 48875
Owosso Police Department 100 S Water St, Owosso, MI 48867

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It's important to get unused or old prescriptions out of your home. This is a safe way to dispose of them and you will be helping to keep them out of the wrong hands.