Have old, unwanted prescription pills? You can drop them off today



If you've got a lot of expired or unwanted prescriptions drugs in your medicine cabinet, you can get rid of them in a safe place this weekend.  On Saturday, April 27th, from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm, the Seattle Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Adminsitration will take them off your hands.   Bring your medications for disposal to any one of the five Seattle Police Department precincts.  .  Find out which one is closest by visiting our precinct map page at http://www.seattle.gov/police/maps/precinct_map.htm and clicking on one of the precinct icons.

The service is free and anonymous, no questions asked.

Police say this is a vital public safety and public health issue.  Medicines that languish in home cabinets are highly susceptible to diversion, misuse, and abuse.  Rates of prescription drug abuse in the U.S. are alarmingly high, as are the number of accidental poisonings and overdoses due to these drugs.

Studies show that a majority of abused prescription drugs are obtained from family and friends, including from the family medicine cabinet.   Flushing them down the toilet or throwing them in the trash – both pose potential safety and health hazards.