The San Juan County Sheriff’s Office and the San Juan Island Prevention Coalition have collaborated to launch a prescription drug take-back program, beginning in August at Ray’s Pharmacy on Orcas, Friday Harbor Drug and Lopez Pharmacy. Federal laws mandate that controlled substances can only be received by law enforcement.

The next take-back date is Sept. 1. A deputy will arrive at each pharmacy at 10 a.m. on the first Wednesday of every month (for the next five months) to accept controlled medications. After helping any initial clients, the deputy may leave, but will be on call to return to the pharmacies to accept medications until 2 p.m.

Take Back Programs are beginning nationwide to offer a safe place for citizens to dispose of unused, unwanted, or expired medications. The problems surrounding the disposal of prescription drugs is two fold. These chemicals are highly toxic to the environment when flushed or washed down the drain, but, if kept at home beyond their prescribed usage time, they can fall into the wrong hands.

Prescription drug abuse is on the rise and according to the Office of National Drug Control Policy, young adults age 18 to 25 have the highest rate of prescription drug abuse, followed by teens ages 12 to 17. The Washington State 2008 Healthy Youth Survey showed San Juan County 10th graders at rates almost doubling that of the state average, when queried about using pain killers, such as Vicodin and/or Oxycontin to get high in the past 30 days. Nationally, 71,000 children under the age of 18 are seen every year in emergency rooms due to unintentional prescription or over the counter medication overdoses.

For more information, please contact Cara Gresham, Prevention Intern at 378-9683, or Marta Nielson, Orcas Island Prevention Partnership at 376-1547.