On April 30th, 2016, Deputies from the King County Sheriff’s Office and members of its contract cities participated in a special prescription drug take back and disposal program sponsored by the Drug Enforcement Agency.

The program is designed to keep people, as well as their animals, and the environment in general, safe by keeping unused prescription drugs out of the wrong hands where they can harm people and out of the trash, landfills, and sewer systems where they can hurt animals and the environment.

At multiple Sheriff’s Office precincts and Contract City Police Stations around King County, residents were invited to turn in any and all unused medication anonymously and free of charge. Communities were notified via advertising and announcements in local print, radio, and social media, as well as notices posted at local pharmacies.

This special event lasted just four hours, but in that short amount of time, the total weight of the unused medication that was turned in came in at just under 300lbs. The drugs will be turned over to and properly disposed of by the DEA.

While this was a special event in partnership with the DEA, many local police stations as well as Sheriff precincts, already have a collection station for unused medication that can be utilized year round.

The contract cities of Burien, SeaTac, Maple Valley, Carnation, and Kenmore just to name a few have collection bins that the public can utilize year round for free. People wanting to turn in medicine should check with their local police station to see if they have a collection bin available for use at anytime.