Time to safely dispose of unwanted drugs

If you’re like most people, you probably have some old medicine laying around. Old prescriptions you got years ago but have just left them in the back of the closet because you didn’t know what to do with them. This is the time to do something with them. Saturday is Drug Take Back Day, a national effort to collect old prescription drugs. This is an opportunity for you to get rid of old unused or outdated medicines, and to ensure they don’t end up harming the environment, or falling into the wrong hands, which can be dangerous. The medicines are collected and shipped away for safe disposal. All you have to do is get to the La Crosse County Health and Human Service building parking lot between nine and noon on Saturday. You won’t even have to get out of your car. National Drug Take Back Day is also an opportunity to learn more about the potential for abuse of prescription drugs. The opioid epidemic is rampant, and removing old drugs from your closet or medicine cabinet can help prevent their misuse. You don’t have to wait until Saturday to remove your old medicine. There are more than a dozen drop boxes available year round throughout the county at places like police stations and hospitals. If you have unwanted medicine, you can help prevent their misuse in just a few minutes this weekend. It is free, and it could prevent an accidental overdose.