Take Back Your Prescription Drugs Saturday in Shoreline

Spring cleaning your medicine cabinets protects the environment, and also helps keep kids safe from accidental overdose. Lake Forest Park Police Officer Jackson Beard said 71,000 children aged 12-17 are treated for unintentional overdoses each year in the U.S.

National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day is a reminder to properly dispose of medications that could be dangerous to children or the environment.

The Federal Drug Enforcement Administration and Shoreline Police are offering a one-day event Saturday, April 27, that provides residents with no cost, anonymous collection of unwanted or expired medicines. Unwanted medicines that are flushed down toilets or thrown into the trash may end up in our surface and ground waters, impacting aquatic organisms, the environment and our health. Residents can bring in their medications between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. for free, anonymous disposal.

Lake Forest Park Police are not hosting a one-day event, but Beard said the department accepts unwanted prescription medication from Lake Forest Park residents at its office daily, Mon-Fri 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

In addition, Bartell's Drugs on Aurora in Shoreline has a collection box that's available daily (no controlled substances).

 Accepted:

• Controlled, non-controlled and over the counter substances
• If an original container is submitted, you are encouraged to remove any identifying information from the prescription label by either removing the label or utilizing a permanent marker
• Liquids such as cough syrup will be accepted as long as it is in its original container

NOT Accepted:

• Intra-venous solutions, injectables, syringes or medical waste will not be accepted due to potential hazard posed by blood borne pathogens
• Illicit substances such as marijuana, methamphetamine, heroin or cocaine are not part of this initiative and should not be placed in collection containers

--Information from Shoreline and Lake Forest Park Police departments