The cities of Montesano and Elma are set to participate in National Prescription Drug Take Back Day 2017 taking place April 29 across the country.

The program is sponsored by the Department of Justice and the Drug Enforcement Agency, whose website describes the program’s objectives.

“The National Prescription Drug Take Back Day aims to provide a safe, convenient, and responsible means of disposing of prescription drugs, while also educating the general public about the potential for abuse and medications,” the website states.

The collection will take place from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. for both cities. The collection in Elma will be in front of the police station, and the Montesano collection site will be in front of Thriftway in Montesano. Those who participate are welcome to scratch labels off prescription drug bottles or to scratch out their names. Needles will not be accepted.

“Go through your cabinets, just about everyone probably has some medication around the house they don’t know what to do with; no charge, no questions asked, bring them down,” Montesano Police Chief Brett Vance said.

This is Montesano’s second year participating in the event, and the city took in anywhere from 75 to 90 pounds of prescription drugs last year, according to Vance. The Montesano Police Department also has a prescription-drug drop box at the police station where people can dispose of prescription drugs throughout the year.

Elma Police Chief Susan Shultz says this is Elma’s third year of participation, and that last year the Elma Police Department took in about 80 pounds of discarded pharmaceuticals.

“At a local level, the goal is to make sure people are disposing of their drugs correctly, and making sure they’re not getting into the hands of young children,” she said.

Shultz continued by saying how often times unused prescription drugs are left unattended in the home, making it possible for children riffling through the cabinets of family members and friends to get them.

“The problem is that the people prescribed OxyContin (and other prescription drugs) may not take them all but they keep them in the cabinets, and then family members and or people seeking medication will get ahold of it and misuse it,” she said.

One long-term goal of the program is working to prevent heroin addiction, as Shultz noted that misuse and dependency on prescription drugs can lead people down the path of heroin addiction.

“I’ve seen a lot of heroin addicts share stories about how they started their drug abuse through prescription medication, then when pharmacies made it harder to abuse they turned to a much cheaper alternative, heroin,” Shultz explained.

Abuse of prescription drugs can not only be harmful to individuals, but the improper disposal of those drugs can also have an effect on the environment.

“If these drugs get into the environment, if just flushed down the toilet or put in the garbage, the drugs disseminate into the ground and get into the drinking water and lakes. It’s just not environmentally friendly to dispose of drugs in a way that lets them enter our bodies via a second source,” Shultz said.

Vance also relayed the dangers of improper prescription drug-disposal.

“I think normally people would try and flush them (prescription drugs), but we don’t want them to do that because of the wastewater treatment plant,” he said.

The Department of Ecology for Washington State’s website explains that most wastewater treatment plants are not equipped to effectively eliminate pharmaceuticals, and suggests that incineration is the best option.

“Non-medical use of prescription drugs is probably only ranked second to marijuana for drugs that are misused and since Washington is a legal state, this should rank first as the most common type of illegal drug abuse,” Shultz said.

Chiefs Vance and Shultz encourage the communities of Montesano and Elma to do their part and take advantage of the opportunity to properly dispose of prescription drugs.