A Shoreline officer collects pharmaceuticals during Washington's 2010 Drug Take Back Day. Law enforcement stations across the state collected 9,000 pounds of medicine during the Sept. 21 event. The next event is Oct. 29 and West Seattleites can take their unused prescriptions to the SPD Southwest Precinct.
The DEA has scheduled another National Prescription Drug Take Back Day from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 29. For West Seattle and White Center, the closest dropoff point will be the Seattle Police Southwest Precinct at 2300 S.W. Webster St (near Home Depot on Delridge).
During the last take back day on April 30, the Southwest Precinct recovered 80.5 pounds of prescription medications.
In April, Margaret Shield, King County’s policy liaison for the Hazardous Waste Management Program, talked to the Herald about the need for a year-round take back program, ideally funded by drug companies selling prescriptions in Washington State. She said the four-hour take back events are positive, but act as a "band-aid" in lieu of a year-round system that can reduce the environmental impacts of unused drugs being thrown out, or falling into the people's hands for recreational use.
To read more about what Shield had to say, please click here.
