MENDOCINO Co., 5/13/19 — Mendocino County’s Public Health department held a “Drug Takeback” event on April 20, and on that day alone, over 16 pounds of unused medication were collected. In light of the current national crisis of opioid addiction, which often begins with prescribed medication, Mendocino County’s public health officials want to make it even easier for people to dispose of their unused medication. So, in addition to several existing drop boxes around the county, the Health and Human Services Agency has placed an additional five boxes around the county, with more on the way.
The current medication drop boxes can be found at multiple locations in Ukiah and Covelo, as well as Fort Bragg, Willits, and Laytonville. You can find exact location of all the drop boxes here, and listed below. More information about the opioid crisis, along with lists of local resources and treatment programs, can be found at the Safe Rx Mendocino’s website.
Here’s the more information from the county’s Health and Human Services Agency:
When it comes to overdoses, oftentimes, having un-used or un-needed medications in the home can be dangerous to family members and visitors. Many adolescents start sampling opioids after finding unused pills in their parents’ possession. Inviting visitors to one’s home
may give them the opportunity to search through medicine cabinets in your absence. Law enforcement has even reported that real estate ‘Open Houses’ are a common place where individuals search for medication.
So, getting rid of unnecessary medication is an effective preventative step we can all take. But how to dispose of it? We now know that flushing medication down the toilet contaminates the watershed.
In an effort to help our friends in the community safely dispose of their un-used medication, Public Health has partnered with MendoRecycle, and other community partners, to set up boxes for public disposal of medications- they kind of look like outdoor mailboxes! They are
secure, and MendoRecycle empties them on a regular basis. For a current listing of where you can find the medication disposal box nearest you, please visit www.saferxmendocino.com.
Long-standing sites (that accept controlled substances) include:
● Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office on Low Gap Road in Ukiah
● Long Valley Clinic in Laytonville
● Fort Bragg Police Department in Fort Bragg
Recent additions:
● Round Valley Indian Health Clinic in Covelo
● Yuki Trails Clinic in Covelo
● Anderson Valley Health Center in Boonville
● Howard Hospital Outpa?ent Pharmacy in Willits
● Mendocino County Public Health on Dora Street in Ukiah
We are in the process of ordering more boxes and establishing more sites around the county, including on the Coast.
We’d like to give a special thanks to our local businesses and organizations for their generous donations to the 2019 4/20 Takeback Event: Dave’s Bike Shop, Slam Dunk Pizza, Savings Bank,
The Arbor DFC Coalition, Redwood Valley Little Lake Band of Pomo Indians, Hopland Band of Pomo Indians, Safeway, Grocery Outlet, Super Taco, El Azteca, Schats, Coyote Valley Band of Pomo Indians, Pinoleville Pomo Nation, Lucky’s, and Marino’s Pizza.
