Drug drop box for leftover prescription medications available in lobby of Maple Valley Police Department Nov. 5

That bottle of painkillers leftover from a minor surgery or hanging out in the medicine cabinet for back pain can be a temptation and it's one the Maple Valley Police Department would like to eliminate. Starting Oct. 31, a drug drop off box will be available in the lobby of the Maple Valley police station where anyone can safely dispose of unused or expired prescription drugs, according to information provided by the department.

By Kris Hill • October 25, 2010 2:13 pm

That bottle of painkillers leftover from a minor surgery or hanging out in the medicine cabinet for back pain can be a temptation and it’s one the Maple Valley Police Department would like to eliminate.

Starting Nov. 5, a drug drop off box will be available in the lobby of the Maple Valley police station where anyone can safely dispose of unused or expired prescription drugs, according to information provided by the department.

“It also addresses the community concerns about safely disposing the medications,” officials said in a statement. “Unused medications pose a risk to family, communities and the environment.”

When prescription drugs are not securely stored they might be stolen or mistakenly consumed. If those drugs are dumped down the drain or thrown away they can contaminate the environment.

Drugs obtained with a prescription can only be in the possession of the person who was prescribed the medications or law enforcement officials and because controlled substances such as narcotic painkillers are highly addictive, they cannot be accepted by pharmacies for disposal, so the drug drop off box will be the best option.

According to Maple Valley Police Department, “prescription drug abuse is a serious and growing problem in our area.”

A recent study of drug use in King County showed that of the 253 drug overdoses in 2009, more than half involved prescription pain medications such as OxyContin, which is almost eight times higher than the number of overdoses in that category in 1997.

Maple Valley Police will host an event to raise awareness of the availability of the drug drop off box at 8:15 a.m., Friday, Nov. 5, at the police station located at 22017 S.E. Wax Road, Suite 100.

The drop off box will be a lockable safe that will have an alarm and will be located in the secure lobby of the police station. It will be accessible to the public during regular business hours and will be in full view of staff. It will be mounted in a way that prevents theft from or of the safe.

For more information call the Maple Valley Police at 425-413-5158.