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Drug Take Back is Saturday with Wyoming, Metro Health teaming up

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The National Drug Take Back Day is Saturday, April 24, with the City of Wyoming teaming up with the Wyoming Department of Public Safety. (WKTV)

By City of Wyoming

The City of Wyoming and Metro Health-University of Michigan Health will help households across the community dispose of prescription and over-the-counter medications safely and properly on Saturday, April 24, as part of National Drug Take Back Day.

The City of Wyoming and Metro Health are partnering to provide two drive-thru drop-off sites for community members to bring unwanted prescriptions and over-the-counter medications 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The drop-off locations are Metro Health Hospital, 2122 Health Drive SW, and Wyoming Department of Public Safety, 2300 DeHoop Avenue SW. Staff will be on hand to anonymously accept medications, including controlled substances, with no questions asked.

National Drug Take Back Day is a biannual event promoted by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. Metro Health and the City of Wyoming continue to partner on this event twice each year to provide this service to the community. This past October, the Drug Take Back Day event took in 240 pounds of unwanted prescriptions and over-the-counter medications that were incinerated at the Kent County’s Waste to Energy Facility.

Both organizations recognize how community education can help protect the environment and reduce opportunities for prescription drug abuse, which continues to be a major public health concern in the country. Studies show a majority of abused prescription drugs are obtained from family and friends, often from the home medicine cabinet.

“The Drug Take Back Day event is near and dear to my heart,” said Wyoming Mayor Jack Poll. “During my career as a pharmacist, I saw the heartbreak that can occur when medication gets into the wrong hands. I encourage everyone to go through their medicine cabinets and bring any unwanted or expired medication to this event.”

The Take Back Day events provide an opportunity for community members to help prevent drug addiction and overdose deaths.

“I would encourage everyone to take a few minutes to clean out your medicine cabinets and bring your unneeded prescription drugs to be disposed of safely,” said Pete Haverkamp, Director of Pharmacy, Metro Health – University of Michigan Health. “Something this simple can make our homes and community safer and help fight the opioid epidemic.”

There are four year-round SafeMeds drop-off sites in Wyoming, including the Department of Public Safety facility. Community members can drop off prescription and over-the-counter medications 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday at 2300 DeHoop Ave. SW.

For more information about Wyoming’s National Take Back Day event and a list of SafeMeds drop-off sites, visit wyomingmi.gov/SafeMeds.

Kentwood Police plans annual Drug Take Back day for Saturday

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On Saturday, April 29, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., the Kentwood Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) will give the public another opportunity to prevent drug abuse and theft by ridding their homes of potentially dangerous expired, unused, and unwanted prescription drugs. Bring your medications for disposal to the Kentwood Police Department at 4742 Walma Ave SE. Liquids, needles, inhalers or medical equipment cannot be accepted, only pills and patches. The service is free and anonymous, no questions asked.

 

This initiative addresses a vital public safety and health issue. Medications that are forgotten in home cabinets are highly susceptible to diversion, misuse, and abuse. Rates of prescription drug abuse in the U.S. are alarmingly high, as are the number of accidental poisonings and overdoses due to these drugs. Studies show that a majority of abused prescription drugs are obtained from family and friends, including from the home medicine cabinet. In addition, Americans are now advised that their usual methods for disposing of unused medicines—flushing them down the toilet or throwing them in the trash—both pose potential safety and health hazards by drug residues appearing in surface water, such as rivers and lakes.

 

Please take advantage of this free program that allows you to properly dispose of your unused and unwanted prescription and over-the-counter medications. For more information, contact Vicki Highland at 616-656-6571.

 

As mentioned, needles, or sharps will not be accepted at during the Take Back day. The Kent County Department of Public Works and the Kent County Health Department do offer a safe disposal of needles through a program called SafeSharps.

 

“Sharps” is the term for medical devices with sharp points or edges the can puncture or cut the skin. Kent County residents may request a free container from any KCHD facility. After completing a brief registration form, KCHD will issue a sterile approved container that users make take home. Once the container is full, it can be returned to any KCHD facility and exchanged for a new one.

 

Containers will be accepted at the Kent County Health Department, 700 Fuller Ave. NE; Sheldon Clinic, 121 Franklin SE; South Clinic, 4700 Kalamazoo Ave. SE.; and North County Clinic, 4388 14 Mile Road NE. Hours for all the sites are 8 – 11:30 a.m. and 12:45 – 4:45 p.m. Monday – Wednesday and Friday; 12:45 – 4:45 p.m. the first, third and fifth Thursdays of the month; 10 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. and 1:45 – 6:45 p.m the second and fourth Thursdays of the month. For more information on the SafeSharps program, visit recyclekent.org.