A host of Cook County and Chicago health and law enforcement agencies are sponsoring a one-day event to collect unwanted or expired medicine from the public at 22 locations throughout the city and suburbs.
The “Unwanted Medication Disposal Drive” will be held Wednesday, May 11, between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m., at three North Side sites: Chicago Police Department, 2452 W. Belmont Ave.; Levy Center, 2019 W. Lawrence Ave.; and Chicago Department on Aging Center, 2102 W. Ogden Ave.
The event is designed to collect old or unused prescription or non-prescription medication for safe disposal by law enforcement. All medications will be accepted; however, no hypodermic syringes will be collected.
Flushing drugs down the toilet for disposal can kill beneficial bacteria responsible for breaking down waste at sewage treatment plants. The medicine can also damage septic systems and ultimately the environment. If placed in the trash, drugs can be scavenged and illegally sold, or can poison animals. Identity theft can occur if personal information is left on medicine bottles when discarded in the trash. In addition, recycling or sharing medicine with a person other than one for whom it is prescribed is illegal.
To promote safe use and storage of medicine, citizens are encouraged to store all medicines in a cool, dry place and out of reach of children. Check the expiration dates on all non-prescription medicines before ingesting. Take advantage of the Disposal Program if medicines are more than one year old or they do not have an expiration date, or if the owner cannot remember when the drugs were purchased.
Citizens are encouraged to contact their local pharmacist or the Illinois Poison Control Center if old medicine is misused or accidentally ingested. For more information regarding unwanted Medication Disposal Drive city sites, call 311 or (312) 744-4000. |
