Edmonds Police Participating in Take Back Your Meds Day

Snohomish County residents on Saturday can dispose of unused, expired and unwanted prescription drugs, including narcotic painkillers, and other medications at secure drop-off sites at law enforcement locations throughout Snohomish County. The time is between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. 

In Edmonds, the place for disposal is the Edmonds Police Station, 250 Fifth Ave. N. You can also go to the Lynnwood Bartell Drugs at 17633 Highway 99 (176^th Highway 99).

The Bartell Drugs in Edmonds is not participating.

For a complete list of disposal sites, go to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration's website.

Although Saturday is being spotlighted, all law enforcement locations in Snohomish County take back controlled substances on weekdays. (The Lynnwood Police Department is open seven days a week.)

Many Bartell drugstores in Snohomish County also take back unwanted medicines, but don't accept controlled substances. Only law enforcement locations can handle the controlled substances.

All sites will accept unwanted vitamins, pet medications, over-the-counter medications, inhalers, and unopened EpiPens. You should leave items in their original containers. Visit www.snoco.org and search for “pharmaceuticals” for a complete list of county locations and acceptable materials.

“Unintentional poisonings frequently involve prescription drugs, so this voluntary program helps prevent unintentional poisonings among our county’s residents,” said Dr. Gary Goldbaum, Health Officer and Director of Snohomish Health District, the local public health agency for Snohomish County. “The program also protects the public’s safety and health by removing unwanted medicines from household trash and septic systems.”

The Saturday drug-return hours support the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency’s “National Drug Take-Back Day,” through participation by the Snohomish County Partnership for Secure Medicine Disposal. Partnership members include the Snohomish Health District, Snohomish County, the Snohomish County Sheriff’s office, the Snohomish Regional Drug and Gang Task Force, the Washington State Patrol and all local law enforcement agencies.

To date, the law enforcement sites of the Partnership have collected nearly 6,300 pounds of unwanted meds since the program began in December 2009. It is estimated that more than 33 million containers of medication go unused annually in Washington.

According to a recent report from the Snohomish Health District, unintentional poisoning deaths increased more than 400 percent from 1990 through 2007 in Snohomish County. Most were associated with abuse of prescription drugs such as oxycodone (Percodan and Percocet) and hydrocodone (Vicodin). Many of these drugs are commonly found unsecured and unused in home medicine cabinets.

Learn more at www.takebackyourmeds.org/about.