Take Back Medication Day is Saturday

AODA 9 years ago MARYADELE REVOY Less than a minute to read

Attorney General Brad Schimel recently launched a campaign to educate and bring awareness to the prescription pill abuse problem. “Dose of Reality” (doseofrealitywi.gov) is a comprehensive look at what each person can do to help stop medication abuse and why we should do it.

Wisconsin’s state-wide Take Back Medication Day is set for Oct. 17, 2015, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. You may bring prescribed and over-the-counter medication, liquids, creams, patches and inhalers to one of the five locations throughout Sheboygan County listed below.

This day and the previous Take Back Days have been developed by the efforts of community volunteers, who serve on the Mental Health-Substance Abuse Committee of Healthy Sheboygan County 2020, and area agencies such as St. Nicholas hospital, Plymouth Police Department, Random Lake Fire Department, Generations in Plymouth, Sheboygan Police Department and Sheboygan County Sheriff’s Department. Funding for proper disposal comes from the County Department of Planning and Conservation and state aid.

The previous Take-Back Day on May 9, 2015, was a huge success. Over 240 people turned in close to 400 pounds of pills, creams, and liquids. With such a success, we have added two locations to the existing three. Thanks to city staff and volunteers in Howards Grove and Oostburg.

Generations in Plymouth, 1500 Douglas Dr

NEW: Howards Grove Village Hall, 913 S. Wisconsin Dr.

NEW: Oostburg Municipal Building, 1140 Minnesota Ave.

Random Lake Fire Department, 718 Spring St.

St. Nicholas Hospital in Sheboygan, 3100 Superior Ave.

Community volunteers organized the first Take-Back Day for Sheboygan County on Nov. 17, 2007. The main drop off location was at the County’s Health & Safety Fair at North High School in the City of Sheboygan. A second drop off spot was at the state Department of Natural Resources office in Plymouth.

On that day 350 pounds of material was collected with a total of 1,700 pounds for all of 2007.

With such great success, volunteers and community partners continued to host County Take-Back Days for the next three years (October 2008, October 2009 and April 2010).

The first of five permanent boxes was installed at Sheboygan Police Department in 2009. The four remaining boxes were placed at the Plymouth Police Department in 2010, Sheboygan Falls Police Department in 2011, Kohler Police Department in 2012 and in 2013 Elkhart Lake Police Department installed the last box.

In 2010, the U.S. DEA, Drug Enforcement Agency, sponsored National Take-Back Days (September 2010; April & October 2011; April & September 2012; April & October 2013; and April & September 2014), which became the collection Days for Sheboygan County.

It was announced in the fall of 2014 that the federal money for the program was spent and there would be no additional financial support from the DEA. Community leaders and partners, along with state-level officials, including Schimel, have committed to support Take-Back Days for the state of Wisconsin. In a surprising move, the DEA recently announced their intention to sponsor more National Take­Back Days.

MaryAdele Revoy is the Drug Free Community Grant Coordinator for Sheboygan County and is a member of HSC2020 Mental Health and Substance Abuse Coalition.