Yakima will participate in National Drug Take Back Day soon, an event that allows people to get rid of expired or unused medicines, free of charge and anonymously.
One of the sponsors of the event, the Safe Yakima Youth Coalition, said it will accept drugs including unused prescriptions, over-the-counter medicines that have passed their expiration date, opioids, and even pet medications that have expired. It cannot accept sharps or needles, however.
Events such as this are designed to prevent misuse of medications that can lead to overdoses. They also protect the public health by giving residents an alternative to flushing medications into the water system, or placing them in the garbage. Disposing of various medicines poses a problem for almost everyone, but organizers of this type of event can use flyer printing to provide information for participants.
The take-back is set for this Saturday, April 27, and there are four locations set up to take part. These are the Solarity Credit Union in Yakima on Fifth Avenue; Memorial Cornerstone Medicine in Yakima on Creekside Loop; and the Yakima County Sheriff’s Office in Yakima, on First Street. All three will be open from 9:00 am until 1:00 pm on that date. The fourth location is the Highland Food Bank in Tieton, which will accept drop-offs from 8:00 am until 10:00 am on the same day. Also, the Sunnyside Police accept medications 24/7 at a drop box on Homer Street.
