Island County cops to host drug takeback

Turn in expired, unwanted and unused prescription drugs during the eighth drug takeback in Island County this Saturday. The service is free and anonymous and medications can be disposed of at the Island County Sheriff’s Office South Precinct in Freeland, the Coupeville Marshal’s Office and the Oak Harbor Police Department from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, April 26.

Turn in expired, unwanted and unused prescription drugs during the eighth drug takeback in Island County this Saturday.

The service is free and anonymous and medications can be disposed of at the Island County Sheriff’s Office South Precinct in Freeland, the Coupeville Marshal’s Office and the Oak Harbor Police Department from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, April 26.

According to a news release from the sheriff’s office, Americans turned in more than 647,000 pounds of prescription drugs in October 2013 at 5,683 sites operated by the Drug Enforcement Agency and state and local law enforcement agencies.

Medicine left in home cabinets can be misused and abused, and disposing of it down the drain lets the drugs enter the water system. According to the release, studies show a majority of abused prescription drugs are taken from the home medicine cabinet.