Sheriff Lt. John Sprague empties a 'take-back' bin at the sheriff's office. Residents are invited to bring back expired and unused medications instead of flushing the medication.

image credit: Contributed photo

Before flushing a pill or liquid medicine in the toilet, think again.

Officials at the Kitsap Public Health District and Kitsap County Sheriffs Office want to remind residents of a permanent take back program designed for proper disposal of medications. The receptacle boxes are located in the lobbies of the Kitsap County Sheriffs Offices in the Port Orchard and Silverdale locations.

The goal is to have a safe, legal and environmentally friendly alternative to disposing of prescription medications. While waterways are a point of concern for the health district, so is the chance of overdose and poisoning.

The thing that we mostly support about it in public health is that were trying to get these things out of medicine cabinets because theyre very widely abused, said Scott Daniels, Kitsap Public Health District deputy director. Poisoning, suicide those kind of things. Were trying to get them out of medicine cabinets.

According to the Washington State Department of Health Vital Statistics as analyzed by the Kitsap Public Health District, drug-associated deaths are a problem in Kitsap County. From 2009 through 2011, one in 10 people intentionally poisoned themselves. Six out of 10 people died of drug-associated death due to unintended poisoning. The drug-associated death rate is 16 per 100,000 residents, according to a May 2013 Kitsap County Core Public Health Indicator report.

Prior to the installation of the bins earlier this year, the Federal Drug Enforcement Administration hosted twice-yearly drug take-back events. Now, items can be returned five days a week. Medications accepted at the sheriffs office include prescription medications, ointments and patches, over-the-counter medications, sample prescription medications, vitamins and medications for pets.

The sheriffs office is the conduit where unwanted medications are dropped off. The drop off bins are periodically checked during the week by two sheriffs officers, said Deputy Scott Wilson, Kitsap County Sheriffs Office Public Information Officer.

If a disposal bin is full, or close to becoming full, the bin is emptied and the medications weighed. The medications are then sealed in a container and entered into the sheriffs property/evidence system until they are destroyed. Dropped off medications are subsequently destroyed by incineration at designated locations for this purpose.

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Putting medicine in its (right) place