Drug Take Back Day in Ozaukee County is Saturday

A National Prescription Drug Take Back Day will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 26, at the Ozaukee Transit Center in Port Washington and at Concordia University Wisconsin in Mequon.                                           

The event focuses on the issue of prescription painkiller abuse in Wisconsin and provides a safe, convenient and responsible means of disposal, while also educating the community about the potential abuse and consequences of improper storage and disposal of these medications.

It provides a safe and responsible way to dispose of expired  or unused prescription drugs, which should not be flushed or poured down the drain as trace amounts of pharmaceuticals can show up in rivers and lakes. 

Prescription (controlled and non-controlled) and over-the-counter medications, ointments, patches, inhalers, non-aerosol sprays, creams, vials and pet medications will be accepted from households, but not businesses.

Illegal drugs, needles or sharps, acids, and aerosol cans will not be accepted. Also not acceptable are bio-hazardous materials such as bodily fluids or blood; personal care products like shampoos, soaps, lotions and sunscreens; household hazardous waste like paint, pesticides, oil and gas or mercury thermometers.

Solid, non-liquid medications will be accepted by removing the medication from its container and disposing of it directly into a disposal box or into a clear sealable plastic bag. Plastic pill containers will not be collected. Blister packages without the medications being removed are acceptable.

Liquids, creams and sprays must be in their original packaging. 

Drop boxes for prescription medication disposal can be found year-round at police departments in Cedarburg, Grafton, Mequon, Port Washington, Saukville, Thiensville and the Ozaukee County Sheriff’s Office.

Participants in the event include the Washington Ozaukee Public Health Department, Ozaukee County Sheriff’s Office, Starting Point, Concordia University of Wisconsin, the Mequon Police Department, the Wisconsin Department of Justice and the federal Drug Enforcement Administration.  

The transit center is located at 741 W. Oakland Ave. Concordia University of Wisconsin is at 12800 N Lake Shore Dr.