People with unused and expired medications can get rid of them through police and sheriff’s departments across the state Saturday. It’s an effort to rid medicine cabinets of expired and unwanted medications that are at risk of being abused or stolen.
Enforcement officials across northern Michigan say drugs are a growing problem, especially prescription opiates and the related street drug heroin.
Leelanau County Sheriff Mike Borkovich says this is an effort to keep drugs out of the hands of young people, and others, before they are misused. He says they’ll take street drugs too, no questions asked.
“I don’t care if someone comes in here and puts three ounces of cocaine in there, that’s fine,” he says. “We’ll dispose of it with DEA. It won’t be in the water supply and next time you want a fix you won’t have it. So it’s a good win, win all the way around”
Some agencies, including Leelanau County, take back drugs all year.
There’s a list of participating agencies this Saturday here.