The semiannual Drug Take Back Day will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. April 25.
Residents with unused or expired drugs can take them to a variety of drop-off sites for safe disposal.
“We’ll have three location that they can come and drive up and give us your prescription medicine,” Shawano County Sheriff George Lenzner said. “It’s very important to get those off the street, out of the house so that they’re not misused or flushed down the toilet, which can be bad for the environment.”
Officers will set up at the Bonduel Police Department, 205 S. First St., Bonduel; Stockbridge-Munsee Public Safety, W1344 Camp 14 Road, Bowler; and Siga Funmaker Community Center, W17634 Radke Road, Wittenberg.
“We collect about 600 pounds of prescription meds every six months,” Lenzner said about the medicines collected during the Drug Take Back Days and at the permanent drop-off locations.
The collected medicines are taken to Wausau for disposal.
Permanent sites are at the Stockbridge-Munsee Health and Wellness Center, Shawano County Sheriff’s Department, ThedaCare-Shawano and the Bonduel Police Department.
Lenzner said he’s amazed at what is dropped off by residents.
“It’s amazing when we see some of the stuff that is so expensive,” he said. “I wish it could be reused.”
“Some of it’s not even opened; it’s not out of date,” added Chief Deputy Ty Raddant.
Needles are not supposed to be turned in at either the temporary or permanent drop-off sites.
“We’re not supposed to take needles, but people still put them in there,” Lenzner said. “We do dispose of them.”
People have been known to put other things in the drop-off boxes. Lenzner has seen bottles of shampoo and pill bottles filled with baby teeth.
“That’s why we glove up before we open that thing,” he said of the disposal boxes.
Questions can be directed to 715-526-3111.
kpasson@newmedia-wi.com
