Douglas County residents turn in 1,148 pounds of unwanted medication

Douglas County homes gave up 1,148 pounds of unwanted medication in a single day, a haul officials say helps keep pills out of the wrong hands and out of local water systems and landfills.

The Douglas County Sheriff’s Office said the collection was made during National Drug Take Back Day in partnership with the Douglas County Health Department. Residents dropped off unwanted, unused and expired medications at the Highlands Ranch Substation, 9250 Zotos Drive, during the free and anonymous event from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Officials said the effort matters for more than one reason. Medication left in homes can be misused, can be taken accidentally by children or teens, and can be discarded in ways that create environmental problems. The sheriff’s office has framed the collection as a prevention tool first, with safe disposal serving both public health and resource protection goals.

The event accepted prescription pills, over-the-counter medications, some liquids in original sealed containers, e-cigarettes without batteries and veterinary drugs. Needles, sharps, thermometers and some other items were not accepted.

The countywide collection also drew support from Highlands Ranch Water, Highlands Ranch Metro District, the City of Castle Pines and Castle Pines North Metro District, giving the day a broader local reach than a single drop-off site. That network helped turn the collection into a coordinated county effort rather than a one-off cleanup.

Residents who missed the event still have year-round options. The Douglas County Sheriff’s Office said its permanent medication drop-off at the Highlands Ranch Substation is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment also says its Medication Takeback Program includes about 300 year-round drop boxes across Colorado.

State health officials cite a larger concern behind the push for take-back programs: 47% of teens say it is easy to get prescription drugs from a parent’s medicine cabinet. In Douglas County, the 1,148-pound total suggests the problem is not abstract. It is sitting in kitchen drawers, bathroom cabinets and bedside tables, waiting for a simple, safe way out.