Posted: August 23, 2010 11:43:04 AM PDT
Bellingham residents can now take unwanted and expired narcotic pain relievers and prescribed controlled substances to the Bellingham Police Department for secure and legal disposal. This effort is an expansion of the City’s Pharmaceuticals Take-Back Program, which has collected more than 200 pounds of household medication in the first five months of the program.
Unused or expired medications in the home pose a risk to children, the public and the environment. Overdoses from prescription narcotics are a leading cause of death in Washington State. Abuse of narcotic pain relievers is rapidly increasing and half of prescription drug abusers report obtaining the drug from a friend or relative.
The Bellingham Police Department is proactively addressing this growing concern in our community. “Providing a safe, secure and legal disposal site for prescription narcotics will help to eliminate the threat that these left over drugs now pose,” said Bellingham Police Chief Todd G. Ramsay.
Narcotic pain relievers and prescribed controlled substances, not including illegal narcotics, will be accepted by the Bellingham Police Department at 505 Grand Avenue during weekday business hours. Examples include Vicodin, OxyContin, codeine, Percocet, Xanax, hydrocodone and Ritalin. Personal information will not be collected. Items will be incinerated at a facility which has been approved by the Drug Enforcement Agency and Environmental Protection Agency.
Currently, six pharmacies in Bellingham accept unwanted and expired medications from households for secure and legal disposal. Over 200 pounds of medication have been collected since April 5, 2010 when the program was launched. These pharmacies can legally accept most prescription and over the counter medications, but prescription narcotics and prescription controlled substances can only be accepted by the Bellingham Police Department.
For details about participating pharmacies, the Bellingham Police Department’s program, and what can and cannot be accepted please go to www.cob.org/services/environment/pharm-take-back-program.aspx The City’s Pharmaceuticals Take-Back Program is funded in part by a grant from the United States Environmental Protection Agency.
Law enforcement agencies from several other counties in Western Washington have similar programs. Numerous counties have medicine return programs. For more information about their locations, please go to www.medicinereturn.com.
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Media Contact:
Mark Young
Public Information Officer
Bellingham Police Department
(360)778-8815
myoung@cob.org
Mindy Collins
Source Control Specialist
City of Bellingham Public Works
(360)778-7962
mcollins@cob.org
