Lawrence police host Take Back Day for safe prescription drug disposal

Old pills in a bathroom cabinet, a junk drawer or an expired first-aid kit can turn into a household hazard fast. Lawrence police will give Douglas County residents a safe, anonymous way to clear them out Saturday during the DEA’s Take Back Day.

The drop-off runs from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at police headquarters, 5100 Overland Drive. Residents can bring tablets, capsules, patches and other prescription drugs, and vape pens or cartridges may be included if the batteries are removed first. The point is simple: get unwanted medication out of the home before it is accidentally swallowed, misused or passed along to someone else.

Take Back Day has become a national cleanup effort with local consequences. The Drug Enforcement Administration says the annual program is in its 30th year and will run at nearly 4,200 locations across the country on Saturday. Since 2010, the agency says the effort has removed more than 20 million pounds of unwanted medications from communities nationwide.

DEA Administrator Terrance Cole has framed the campaign as a straightforward way to prevent prescription drug misuse, and the numbers show why that matters beyond one weekend. The Kansas Board of Pharmacy says proper disposal reduces medication buildup at home and lowers the risk of unintentional poisoning, drug abuse and diversion. In Douglas County, Engage Douglas County says prescription drug overdose death rates have quadrupled between ages 12 and 25 in Kansas over the past 12 years.

For families doing spring cleaning, getting ready for summer travel or sorting through a medicine cabinet before a house project, the advice is practical: gather anything no longer needed and take it to the Lawrence police drop-off. Clearing out old painkillers, antibiotics and other prescriptions can protect children, pets and visitors who might otherwise find them.

Douglas County also has year-round disposal options. The City of Lawrence/Douglas County Household Hazardous Waste Facility accepts household hazardous waste free by appointment, and a secure medication drop box is available at the Judicial and Law Enforcement Center, 111 East 11th Street in Lawrence, Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., except holidays.