The city of Antigo, in cooperation with the Wisconsin Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), will participate in National Prescription Drug Take Back Day on Saturday, April 28 at the Langlade County Safety Building.

Please bring all unused and expired prescription medication to the Safety Building and place it in the drop-box located in the lobby. You can bring prescription medications, over the counter medications, ointments, inhalers, patches and non-aerosol sprays, creams, vials and pet medications. Do not bring illegal drugs, needles/sharps, aerosol cans, bio-hazardous materials (anything containing bodily fluids or blood), mercury thermometers, personal care products (shampoo, soaps, lotions, etc.), household hazardous waste (paint, pesticides, oil, gas) or acids.

This effort will continue to bring focus to the issue of prescription painkiller abuse in Wisconsin. Drug Take Back Day provides a safe, convenient, and responsible means of disposal, while also educating the community about the potential abuse and consequences of improper storage and disposal of these medications. “Last year, opioids killed 827 people in Wisconsin,” said Wisconsin Attorney General Brad Schimel. “We know that more than two thirds of people who have abused prescription painkillers first got them illegally from a friend or family member. Every household in Wisconsin has the ability to help save lives and cut down on prescription drug abuse by storing prescription drugs securely and disposing of unused medication through proper methods, like DOJ’s biannual Drug Take Back Day.”

Unused or expired medicine should never be flushed or poured down the drain. Water reclamation facilities are not designed to remove all of them and trace amounts of pharmaceuticals are showing up in rivers and lakes.