Every day is Prescription Drug Take-Back Day in Bellingham. For the past year, six local pharmacies have accepted unwanted and expired medication for secure and legal disposal, reaching the 1500-pound milestone in April 2011, one year after starting the collection. Help reach the one-ton mark by bringing labeled medications to any of the following locations during pharmacy hours:
· Costco Pharmacy, 4299 Meridian
· Custom Rx Shoppe, 1313 E Maple St.
· Hoagland Pharmacy, 2330 Yew St.
· Haggen, 2814 Meridian
· Haggen, 2900 Woburn (Barkley Village)
· Fairhaven Market, 1401 12th St.
Prescription narcotics and controlled substances are collected at the Bellingham Police Department, 505 Grand Avenue, 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. and 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Monday-Friday.
Saturday, April 30, 2011, is the second National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day, sponsored by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and supported by local law enforcement. This one-day event takes place locally at four drop-off sites from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Medications will be placed into a box by law enforcement and incinerated at an approved location.
DEA Drop-off locations, April 30, 2011:
· Bellingham DEA & WA State Patrol, 3860 Airport Way, Bellingham
· Lummi Nation Police Department, 2616 Kwina Rd., Bellingham
· Ferndale Police Department, Cost Cutter Foods (front of store), 1750 LaBounty Drive, Ferndale
· Ferndale Police Department, Haggen Food & Pharmacy (front of store), 1815 Main St., Ferndale
Why take back your meds?
· Unused medicines are a danger to our children, families and the environment
· Washington State has one of the highest teen prescription drug abuse rates in the nation
· Medicine poisoning of children and seniors is skyrocketing
· Medicines flushed or put in the trash can end up in our surface waters, groundwater and drinking water--exposing our families and hurting our environment
For more information about the City of Bellingham program, visit the program web page.
Media Contact:
Mindy Collins, Local Source Control Specialist
Public Works Department
(360) 778-7962
mcollins@cob.org
Mindy Collins, Local Source Control Specialist
Public Works Department
(360) 778-7962
mcollins@cob.org
