Waukesha County Sheriff’s Office Will Host Prescription Drug Take Back Day October 26 to Fight Opioid Epidemic

The Waukesha County Sheriff’s Office in cooperation with the Wisconsin Department of Justice and the Drug Enforcement Administration will participate in National Prescription Drug Take Back Day on Saturday, October 26 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at

• Pewaukee City Hall, W240N3065 Pewaukee Road, Pewaukee. Contact: Lieutenant Brian Ripplinger at 262-691-5730
• Sussex Pick ‘n Save, N65W24838 Main Street, Sussex. Contact: Lieutenant Michael Pavlovich at 262-246-5234

“The opioid epidemic continues to plague our communities. By properly disposing of unused medications at drug drop boxes around the state, we can prevent diversion and addiction,” said Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul.
This effort will continue to bring focus to the issue of prescription painkiller abuse in Wisconsin. Drug Take Back Day 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.

Unused or expired medicine should never be flushed or poured down the drain. Water reclamation facilities are not designed to remove all of them and trace amounts of pharmaceuticals are showing up in rivers and lakes.

Guidelines
Accepted:

• Prescription (controlled and non-controlled) and over-the-counter medications, patches, inhalers, vials and pet medications from households.
• Liquids, ointments, creams and non-aerosol sprays in their original packaging.
• Medication in blister packages.
• Needles/sharps accepted at the Sussex drop site only.

Participants may dispose solid, non-liquid medication(s) directly into disposal boxes.

Not Accepted:

• Illegal drugs (Illicit substances such as marijuana or methamphetamine are not a part of this initiative and should not be placed in collection containers.)
• Needles/sharps (at the Pewaukee drop site)
• Plastic pill containers
• Acids
• Aerosol cans
• Bio-hazardous materials (anything containing a bodily fluid or blood)
• Personal care products (shampoo, soaps, lotions, sunscreen)
• Household hazardous waste (paint, pesticides, oil, gas)
• Mercury thermometers
• Business pharmaceutical waste

Community members are encouraged to visit any of the collection sites on October 26, 2019. A list of locations and times are included below. Citizens are also reminded that many drug disposal boxes are open year-round.

To find a drug disposal box near you, please visit http://doseofrealitywi.gov/drug-takeback/find-a-take-back-location/.

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