Twice a year the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office joins law enforcement
agencies nationwide to remove potentially dangerous controlled substances
from our nation’s medicine cabinets. The Drug Take-Back Day provides an opp
ortunity for the public to surrender expired, unwanted, or unused pharmaceu
tical controlled substances and other medications for destruction. These dr
ugs are a potential source of supply for illegal use and an unacceptable ri
sk to public health and safety. The DEA holds the National Drug Take-Back e
vents in April and October of each year.
The next scheduled ev
ent is on Saturday, October 23, 2021, from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.
Th
e Sheriff’s Office will accommodate collections at three sites in the count
y:
Sheriff’s Office Headquarters
200 Je
fferson County Parkway
Golden, CO 80401
Marshdal
e Elementary School
26663 N Turkey Creek Rd
Evergreen,
CO 80439
(In the round-about)
Dakota Ridge High
School
13399 W Coal Mine Avenue
Littleton, CO 80127 (In the west parking lot)
Facts About the Event
This one-day effort is intended to bri
ng national focus to the issue of increasing pharmaceutical controlled subs
tance abuse.
Medication Disposal Drop Boxes
The Jefferson County Sh
eriff’s Office has installed four safe disposal sites for residents to drop
off unused or expired household medications. Secure medication drop boxes
are now available at the following locations:
Drop boxes are the be
st option for families and individuals to safely dispose of potentially har
mful medications. Prescription medications, over-the-counter medications, a
nd vitamins can be disposed of in the dropbox. However, Sharps items, chemo
therapy medication, and marijuana products may not be disposed of in drop b
oxes. Healthcare facility waste is also not permitted.
The ave
rage American household contains four pounds of prescription and over-the-c
ounter medications. Sheriff Jeff Shrader explains “this excess of medicatio
ns enables opportunities for misuse and abuse, which can have very serious
consequences. If medication is taken incorrectly or by people it was not in
tended for, it could even lead to death.”
The Sheriff’s Office
obtained its drop boxes through the Colorado Household Medication Take-Bac
k Program, administered by the Colorado Department of Public Health & E
nvironment. Medication collected in the boxes is securely packaged and ship
ped off-site, where it is converted to renewable energy.
What to do with items that cannot be accepted:
Household Needles/Sharps
Handle with Care!
Skin punctures may transmit blood-borne infections.
Dispos
al Options:
Sharps Collection Programs can be found here.
Mail-
in Sharps Containers (some pharmacies and websites sell sharps containers w
ith mail-in labels, ensuring proper treatment and disposal. There is an add
ed cost for this service).
Proper Trash Disposal
Never put a container of sharps in with recyclables. Sharps are not recycla
ble and not only can they pose an infection risk to workers at recycling fa
cilities, but they can also render whole batches of recyclables unusable.
Used needles/sharps should never be placed loosely in the trash
or flushed down the toilet.
Use a sharps container purchased
from a pharmacy or other source, or use a strong plastic container (HDPE pl
astic with #2 recycling symbol) with a screw-top lid. Used laundry detergen
t bottles work well. Never use paper or plastic milk jugs. They can punctur
e. Never use glass containers. They can break and make the hazard worse.
Chemotherapy Drugs
If you’ve undergone treatment with radioactive pharmaceuticals for
a disease like thyroid cancer, some wastes you produce may be contaminated
with residual radiation. Certain wastes may have to be temporarily stored
before placing them out with your trash. You and your caregiver should clos
ely follow instructions provided by your doctor about waste disposal.
The Comprehensive Cancer Center Pharmacy at Saint Joseph Hospital a
ccepts chemotherapy drugs for disposal. Call (303) 318-3490 for more inform
ation.
Personal Care Products
Most personal care
products can be disposed in the trash, but some local household hazardous w
aste programs may accept these products along with household cleaning produ
cts. Contact your local program directly, or contact your city/county gover
nment for program contact information.
Thermometers and Oth
er Mercury-Containing Devices
Some local household hazardous wast
e programs will accept thermometers and other mercury-containing devices. C
ontact your local program directly, or contact your city/county government
for program contact information.
All Colorado Ace Hardware sto
res and other Colorado businesses participate in a program to recycle mercu
ry-containing thermostats. Visit Thermostat-Recycle.org for a complete list
of locations.
Also, Holy Cross Energy and Alpine Bank have te
amed up to accept compact fluorescent lights (CFLs) for recycling at severa
l locations in the Vail, Glenwood Springs and Aspen areas. Ace Hardware sto
res will accept them as well.
Medical Tools and Supplies
Some charities will accept medical tools and supplies in good, usab
le condition. Project CURE is one such charity. Call (303) 792-0729 for mor
e information.
Bloody or Infectious Waste
Soiled
bandages, dressings and disposable sheets should be placed in securely fast
ened plastic bags before being placed in household trash. Trash containing
these potentially infectious wastes should be stored out of the reach of ch
ildren and pets until it can be picked up or taken to a landfill.
Marijuana
Unused marijuana and marijuana-infused products
that were obtained by an individual for recreational or medical use may be
disposed of by placing them in household trash or taken to a landfill. The
marijuana must be rendered unrecognizable and mixed with other items of tra
sh. Place in the trash on the day it gets picked up or taken to a landfill.
Illicit Drugs
Contact your local law enforcement
agency for guidance.
Empty Containers
Empty cont
ainers should be recycled, if possible. Check the lists of acceptable recyc
lables provided by your curbside recycling service or local recycling progr
am. Non-recyclable items should be placed in household trash or taken to a
landfill. Strike personal information (i.e. patient name and prescription n
umber) from prescription pill bottles before recycling or trashing them.