More than 280 law enforcement agencies across Wisconsin took part in Drug Take Back Day Saturday.
The day gives people the chance to safely get rid of unused or unwanted medications.
Several law enforcement leaders gathered in McFarland to speak about the effort, including Dane County Sheriff Kalvin Barrett.
He said Drug Take Back Day has the power to save the lives of children and pets who may get ahold of medications they shouldn’t, as well as the lives of people struggling with opioid addiction. Adding, it takes a village to do both.
“Public safety requires the public and it requires the leadership of the individual standing to my left and our right to ensure that our communities are safe for us to live, work, visit and raise a family,” Barrett said.
Drug Take Back Day happens twice a year. During the last event, law enforcement said people turned in 27 tons of medication. This is one reason Attorney General Josh Kaul said the program is a success.
“It’s always a privilege to be doing this here in Wisconsin, because we are really the national leader when it comes to drug take back. Consistently, Wisconsin is ranked either first or in the top few states nationwide in terms of the volume of unused and unwanted prescription medications that are being collected,” Kaul said.
Officials are still counting totals of drugs turned in Saturday.
If you weren’t able to make it out Saturday, you can still drop off unwanted medication at disposal boxes at area police stations.
“There are more than 490 drop boxes across the state of Wisconsin and people use these all the time. It’s the safe, effective way to dispose of your unused and unwanted prescription medications,” Kaul said.
Source : WKOW
