Prescription drugs in the wrong hands can be deadly. So state officials encourage Vermonters to store theirs in locked cabinets. This is especially important during the holidays, when children and teens may be visiting.
Many people who misuse pain prescription drugs obtain them from relatives or friends. Pets and young children can also accidentally ingest them.
The Vermont Department of Health offers free lock bags you can order to secure your medications.
If you have expired or unused medications, you can drop them off at more than 100 prescription drug disposal locations around the state, including many pharmacies and police stations.
Check out this map to find a drop-off kiosk near you.
The Rutland County Sheriff's Office takes in more than 100 pounds of old medications a month, including used syringes, according to spokesperson Daniel Austin.
“It doesn’t have to be in the original container. We get people that come in with gallon-size Ziploc bags, they're just full of assorted pills,” he said.
The drugs are then picked up — no questions asked — and incinerated at controlled locations, Austin said.
It’s much safer than simply throwing them away, he said, because of the risk that someone will find and misuse them.
Flushing drugs down the toilet is also not a good idea, Austin said.
“It can seep into groundwater, and a lot of systems that recycle water don't take the drugs out, and it can end up doing environmental damage,” he said.
State health experts say wildlife can also be harmed.
Vermonters can also dispose of unused prescription medicines through the mail. The state provides free mail-in envelopes for this.
For a nationwide map of safe places to bring unwanted, unused or expired medications, click here.
