A Drug Abuse Prevention Measure That Starts With Emptying Medicine Cabinets

Tomorrow is National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day.

Wisconsin will have 175 sites in different communities across the state where people can drop off unwanted or expired medication. Wisconsin Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen says one aim of the program is to prevent painkillers from getting into the wrong hands.

“Studies show that a full two-thirds of prescription drugs that are abused are ones that were lawfully prescribed and then taken out of the medicine cabinet of a friend, neighbor, relative, things along those lines. Most of that is because people take their unused prescription drugs and they just hold on to them for whatever reason.”

The take-back day is a joint effort by the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), state Department of Natural Resources and state Justice Department. Last year, The DEA said 60,000 pounds of prescription drugs were dropped off at Wisconsin collection sites.