SECURE MEDICINE DISPOSAL NOW AVAILABLE IN GOLD BAR February 15, 2010
Gold Bar medicine disposal lock box. Photo courtesy Gold Bar Mayor Joe Beavers CLICK TO ENLARGE
Gold Bar medicine disposal lock box. Photo courtesy Gold Bar Mayor Joe Beavers CLICK TO ENLARGE
(GOLD BAR, WA) -- The days of simply flushing old or unwanted prescription meds down the toilet or putting them in the trash are long gone.
Scientists have found that the millions of tons of prescription meds people flush down the drain or throw into the garbage can every day eventually end up in water aquifers and from there into animals and plants and human populations.
Whatever we humans stick in the ground – meds, toxins from batteries and a wild assortment of nasty industrial waste – it eventually works its way back through the food and water chains and into our bodies either in the food we eat or the water we drink or both.
Then there is the serious danger of children and teens getting into old or unused meds that can cause serious harm – particularly with narcotic meds - and can sometimes even be fatal.
It is with such things in mind that the City of Gold Bar, in partnership with the Snohomish Regional Drug Task Force, is now offering secure disposal of medicines for area residents.
The place where residents can now safely dispose of old and unused medicines is lock box designed for that purpose and stationed at Gold Bar City Hall. Medicines can be disposed of during normal working hours.
The procedure is as follows:
1) Customer blocks out personal ID information using a black marker 2) City Staff screens for accepted items 3) City Staff notes the zip code on the receipt for the medicines 4) Customer places the items in a tamper resistant bag provided by the City, which the Customer then seals for security. 5) Customer places the bag into the container lid which then drops the medicine into the secure box below. 6) City Staff then locks container lid.
The Lock Box is securely fastened to the floor and is of heavy gage steel.
At appropriate times, a representative from the Drug Task Force removes the bags of medicines and takes them to a Snohomish County Hazardous Waste Disposal Station.
Gold Bar City Hall hours are: 8 am – noon and 1 pm to 5 pm non-holiday weekdays.
Residents are asked to call ahead (360-793-1101) to make sure the staff person responsible for handling the disposal will be available.
NOTE: To find a list of other areas in the county where meds can be dropped off, go HERE and click on the image that is in the upper right hand corner of the story
