Wisconsin collects 53K lbs of prescription meds during Drug Take Back Day

WISCONSIN. (Northern News Now) - Wisconsin collected the most prescription medication of any state nationwide during the recent Drug Take Back Day.

According to the Wisconsin Department of Justice, Wisconsinites dropped off 53,122 pounds of unused medications. Michigan collected 18,000 pounds of medication and Minnesota collected about 9,000.

The goal is to safely get rid of those drugs and prevent them from being misused or from falling into the wrong hands.

“Because of collaboration among many partners around the state and the commitment of Wisconsinites to helping to keep their communities safe, we continue to lead the nation in drug take back,” said Attorney General Josh Kaul. “Thank you to everyone who participated this fall in Drug Take Back Day.”

Officials say Wisconsin has collected a total of 1,202,039 pounds of unwanted medications since the project began in 2010.

The state ranks third in the U.S. for the most medications collected since inception, trailing behind Texas with 1,379,669 pounds and California with 1,372,361 pounds.

Across the country, since 2010, over 17 million pounds of unwanted medications have been collected during Drug Take Back events.

The next National Drug Take Back Day is in the spring.

To find a permanent drug disposal box near you, click here.

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