It’s easier than you think for prescription drugs to get into the wrong hands.
It’s one of the reasons local law enforcement and health officials have been making it as easy as possible to dispose of unused or expired medication.
In Vilas County, the Sheriff’s Office has a drop box available 24/7.
Rachael Cornelius is the Community Health Educator for the Vilas County Health Department.
She says in addition to safely disposing of medication, the health department and the Vilas County Youth Coalition have been focused on safe storage this year.
“It's just good practice to store these medications safely so they're not accidentally falling into the wrong hands. I think a lot of folks think that maybe it's something more deliberate, but it can be very accidental, and that can have devastating results,” said Cornelius.
The Vilas County Youth Coalition will be giving away medication lock boxes and bags at this year’s Hallowfest. It’s October 28 in downtown Eagle River.
That date also coincides with the National Drug Take Back Day.
“I think that people are maybe unaware of resources and things like that, to get rid of these things, or how to safely store them so they’re not falling into the wrong hands,” said Cornelius.
There are restrictions on the kinds of medications you dispose of through the Drug Take Back Program.
You can find a list on theDose of Reality page of the DHS website. That’s also where you’ll find a link to drop-off sites near you.
Between October 2022 and April 2023, the Vilas County Sherriff’s Office collected and safely disposed of 104 pounds of unwanted medications.
