ONEIDA COUNTY – Four Oneida County law enforcement agencies will provide the opportunity to help prevent prescription medication abuse and prescription medication theft by eliminating homes of potentially dangerous expired, unused and unwanted prescription drugs.
The Rhinelander Police Department, the Minocqua Police Department, the Three Lakes Police Department and the Oneida County Sheriff’s Office, in conjunction with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and Wisconsin Department of Justice (DOJ), will take back unwanted or expired medications on Saturday, Oct. 24, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Sites for disposal will be the Rhinelander Police Department, 201 N. Brown St., Rhinelander; the Minocqua Police Department, 418 E. Chicago Ave., Minocqua; the Three Lakes Police Department, 1795 Erie St., Three Lakes; and the Oneida County Landfill, 7450 County Hwy. K, Rhinelander.
The service is free and anonymous.
Prescription (controlled and non-controlled) and over-the-counter medications, ointments, patches, non-aerosol sprays, inhalers, creams, vials and pet medications will be accepted.
Items that will not be accepted include illegal drugs, aerosol cans, bio-hazardous materials (anything containing a bodily fluid or blood), personal care products (shampoo, soaps, lotions, sunscreens, etc.) and household hazardous waste (paint, pesticides, oil, gas).
Needles and sharps will be accepted at the landfill.
“Participants will be asked to empty their medication bottles into boxes,” a release from the Oneida County Sheriff’s Office said. “Blister packages are acceptable without the medication being removed. Liquids, creams, and sprays must be in their original packaging. Liquids without the original packaging will not be accepted.”
The Sheriff’s Office said the goal of National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day is to provide a safe, convenient and responsible means of disposal, while also educating the public about the potential for abuse of these medications.
“We hope Oneida County citizens will use this opportunity to dispose of unused and unneeded medications,” the Sheriff’s Office stated.
For more information on disposing of unwanted or unused prescription drugs, visit www.doseofrealitywi.gov/drug-takeback.
The Oneida County Health Department (OCHD) has lock boxes available. To learn more, contact OCHD at 715-369-6111.
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