Drug take back day is happening Saturday, Oct. 29 in SeaTac and Des Moines.

Drop-off centers will be in the SeaTac City Hall front lobby, 4800 S. 188th St., 10 a.m.- 2 p.m.; Bartell Drugs parking lot, 27055 Pacific Hwy. S., 2-6 p.m.; and Bartell Drugs parking lot, 21615 Pacific Hwy. S., 9 a.m.- 1 p.m.

In April, Washington residents helped the state collect more than 8,535 pounds of unused or unwanted medicine (that’s roughly 4.25 million pills in a single day) during National Drug Take Back Day. This event highlighted the critical need for permanent safe drug disposal programs to reduce the rising rates of prescription drug abuse, overdoses, and accidental poisonings.
This year, the DEA will work again with local groups to host National Drug Take Back Day on Saturday, October 29. Sponsored by the Federal Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) with local law enforcement agencies, the one-day event provided communities with free, anonymous medicine returns for unused medications, including dangerous controlled substances.
Why Washington Needs a Permanent Drug Take Back Program
In Washington State, drug overdose is the most common cause of accidental death, superseding car accidents, with an average of two deaths per day; and medicine cabinets are the new drug dealers. According to the Washington State Department of Health, more than three out of five teens say prescription pain relievers are easy to get from parents’ or grandparents’ medicine cabinets. Still, Washington does not have a permanent take back program for controlled substances and over-the-counter medicines.

Legislative Efforts for Secure Medicine Return in Washington State
During the last legislative session, Senator Adam Kline introduced Senate Bill 5234 for Secure Medicine Return, which would have made Washington the first state in the nation to offer a statewide drug take back program funded by pharmaceutical companies at the cost of one penny for every $16 in sales. Instead, the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) used misleading ad campaigns to confuse the public and undermine political support. PhRMA ran ads stating that the DEA recommends putting old medicines in the trash in coffee grounds. In reality, the DEA recommends the first choice for drug disposal as secure drug take back programs. In 2010, the DEA issued a press release stating, “… many Americans do not know how to properly dispose of their unused medicine, often flushing them down the toilet or throwing them away – both potential safety and health hazards.” (http://www.justice.gov/dea/pubs/pressrel/pr081910.html) The drugs become environmental contaminants.

Drug Take Backs Can Save Lives & Money
While single-day events like the DEA’s National Drug Take Back Day help, the Take Back Your Meds coalition contends that Washington State still needs an ongoing solution to address the serious, long-term problem. The group is comprised of local law enforcement agencies, health organizations, drugstores, local governments, environmental groups and community organizations that support a statewide medicine take back program financed by pharmaceutical manufacturers, instead of by local governments and tax dollars.

Each year, Washington State spends $31.7 million to hospitalize and treat children for unintentional poisonings from medicines ($16.2)
, cover emergency room costs for kids who accidentally ingested medications ($9.3)
and on expenses for children who have overdosed ($6.2)
. A permanent take back program can save lives and protect the environment. To learn more about Take Back Your Meds and the need for a permanent drug take back program in Washington state visit: www.takebackyourmeds.org.