St. Louis County Takes Part In Drug Take-Back Day

Improper disposal of old, unused, no-longer-needed prescription drugs creates a two-fold problem: not only can the drugs get into the wrong hands for potential misuse, but they also have the potential to harm our environment via trace-levels entering the water system. October 24 is National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day, and locally St. Louis County is taking part in the program.

To make collections of old and unused prescription drugs easier, St. Louis County has established drop-off sites at three different locations on that date. Anyone can use the sites (i.e. you don't need to be a resident of St. Louis County) and the event is being held as a "no questions asked" program. Here are details about the drop-off sites on October 24:

Duluth: Public Safety Building: 2030 N Arlington Avenue - in conjunction with the Duluth Police Department
Hibbing: St. Louis County Sheriff's Office: 1810 12th Avenue East
Virginia: St. Louis County Sheriff's Office: 300 South 5th Avenue

All three of the prescription drop-off sites will be open on October 24 from 10:00 AM until 2:00 PM.

In addition to these event-related drop off sites for National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day, a variety of local law enforcement agencies maintain permanent drop-off boxes at at their office locations. Also, CVS, Walgreens, and Essentia pharmacies in St. Louis County also offer secure disposal boxes where older, unused medications can be dropped off anonymously year-round. For a complete list of these sites, click here.

There is also a disposal option for individuals who are unable to leave their home - something that might resonate with some people during the COVID-19 Pancdemic. You can request a mail-back envelope with a pre-addressed, postage-paid envelope for free. Call Anna Clough to request this service: 218-471-7362.