The Clallam County Sheriff’s Office, the Port Angeles Police Department, the Sequim Police Department, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and the Port Angeles Healthy Youth Coalition offer residents an opportunity to rid their homes of expired, unused and unwanted prescription drugs from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday.
Drug Take Back Day is planned in Port Angeles and Sequim. In Jefferson County, medication disposal is always available at the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, 79 Elkins Road, Port Hadlock, during regular business hours Monday through Friday. Drugs also can be dropped off any time during regular office hours in Port Angeles and Sequim.
All services are free and anonymous, with no questions asked.
Individuals can drop off expired, unused and unwanted prescription drugs for destruction at the Clallam County Courthouse, 223 E. Fourth St., in Port Angeles and at the Sequim Police Department, 152 W. Cedar St.
Also accepted for destruction will be vaping pens without the internal batteries. Sites cannot accept liquids, needles or sharps, only pills or patches.
The collection service will include both controlled and non-controlled prescription drugs as well as over-the-counter medications.
In Port Angeles, to accommodate social distancing and COVID-19 safety protocols, people can drive through in front of the incident command motorhome in the northwest corner of the parking lot near the jail entrance.
New this year in Port Angeles is the Port Angeles Health Youth Coalition providing residents with a combination lockbag to be taken home for the safe storage of prescription medication and other substances.
The boxes are provided at no cost while supplies last.
Each lockbag is white laminated nylon and measures 12 inches long by 8 inches high. It can hold up to 24 prescription bottles.
Residents are reminded to never flush prescription drugs down the toilet or sink drain.
Police said that medicines that languish in home cabinets are highly susceptible to diversion, misuse and abuse.
Last spring, Americans turned in 839,543 pounds of prescription drugs at 5,060 collection sites. The DEA, along with its law enforcement partners, has now collected nearly 7,262 tons of expired, unused and unwanted prescription medications since the inception of the National Prescription Drug Take Back Initiative in 2010.
