City Lauds Success of Drug Take Back Day

Editor's note: The following is a news release from the City of University Place.

University Place Police had a phenomenal public response to the National Pharmaceutical Drug Take Back Day on Saturday, Oct. 29 at the University Place Public Safety Building.

People came as far away as Mason County and Bremerton to safely dispose of unused medications. The police collected a total of 217 pounds -- a total of six boxes of pharmaceuticals.

Please remember that the University Place Public Safety Building (3631 Drexler Dr. W.) is now an official pharmaceutical collection site. If you have unwanted medications you would like to dispose of safely, please bring them in anytime during office hours, Monday through Friday.

Prescription-drug abuse is the fastest growing drug problem in the country. In Washington state, almost 11 percent of teens use medicines for non-medical reasons -- a rate that is among the highest in the nation. The abuse of medicines by teens often results in medical emergencies or fatal overdoses. Most abusers of medicines, including teens, get the drugs from a
friend or relative - not from a drug dealer.

A safe medicine take-back program gets potentially dangerous leftover drugs out of our homes. For more information about this program, visit www.takebackyourmeds.org or call 798-3141.