MANISTIQUE — — The LMAS District Health Department has partnered with the Luce County Sheriff’s Office, Mackinac County Sheriff’s Office, Alger County Sheriff’s Office, and Schoolcraft County Sheriff’s Office as well as the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) to host Medication Take Back events throughout the district this spring.

In Schoolcraft County, it will be held Monday, May 20, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 220 S Maple Street Parking Lot Manistique (Vacant parking lot behind St. Vincent De Paul).

To learn more about safe medication disposal and all LMAS’s Harm Reduction services, visit lmasdhd.org

Medication Take Back Days address a crucial public health and safety issue by providing a safe, convenient, and responsible way to anonymously dispose of any unused or expired medications, at no cost. During this event, community members can simply bring these unused or expired medications including all pills and capsules, and pet/veterinary medicines, to the Take Back locations; no questions asked.

“We are committed to educating the public about the potential for accidental poisoning or abuse of medications. We strive to make our communities safer and healthier and to prevent accidental deaths,” says LMAS Harm Reduction Nurse Monica Eriksen. “It’s more important than ever to remove the risk and keep your loved ones safe.”

Community members can also take small actions that make a difference. To keep better track of medicines, Eriksen recommends rethinking where and how medications are stored and making sure to safely dispose of medications when they expire or when they simply sit unused.

“Too often unused and expired medications find their way into the wrong hands, which can be dangerous and potentially tragic,” Eriksen explains. “That’s why it’s so important to bring them to the Medication Take Back events.”

Safely disposing of medications also protects the environment.

According to the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy, “proper disposal can prevent adverse effects on the environment resulting from flushing or throwing out medications. In fact, scientists in the United States and Europe studied surface water, groundwater, and landfill leachate, and found that medications persist in these liquids at very low levels. … In a collection program, the drugs are incinerated under specific conditions that destroy active drug components.”