This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Health & Fitness

DEA National Drug Take-Back Event - September 29, 2012

Leftover medicines that linger in our homes are potentially dangerous and drug take-back programs are the only safe way to dispose of medicines.

Leftover medicine has a way of making trouble. Flushed down the drain, it pollutes lakes and rivers as well as our drinking water. Kept at home, it’s a poison risk for small kids and teens. And passed along to a family member or a friend, it encourages people to dose themselves without a prescription. None of this is good.

Of the more than 4 billion prescriptions written yearly, it is estimated that some 40% go unused. That’s about 200 million pounds of meds—including those in liquid form.

To help dispose of unused medications properly visit a local dispose site.

Find out what's happening in University Placewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?

More from University Place