Rhinelander Police Department takes in unused medicine for Drug Take-Back Day - WJFW-TV

RHINELANDER - Unused drugs can sit in cabinets for years. They can be forgotten and then fall into the wrong hands. Saturday, people from Rhinelander made sure that didn't happen. 


"I spent a lot of time in the hospital last year and I got a lot more narcotics than what I needed," said Don Wightman. "We're getting rid of them today [Saturday]."


He and his wife Marie noticed they had more pills just laying around.


"We've been hanging on to these drugs for a long time and we just wanted to get rid of them," said Marie Wightman.


They were among over a hundred people handing off their unused drugs at the Rhinelander Police Department for Drug Take-Back Day.

"We're on pace to take in 100 pounds in pills," said patrol officer Ben Curtes, who was taking and storing pills for four hours Saturday.


Curtes said misusing drugs is a huge problem nationwide, including the Northwoods. He stores the pills in boxes for them to be incinerated later. Curtes said this is the safest way to get rid of medication.


"If you flush them down the toilet it will eventually work its way into the sewage treatment facility and into the Wisconsin river," said Curtes. "This affects the fish and amphibians downstream." 


Don Wightman gave back his drugs to protect the environment and his family.


"It's just something that shouldn't be laying around the house," said Wightman. "We have a grandchild that comes in every once and a while so we don't want him accidently getting a hold of them."


If you have unused medication laying around, Rhinelander Police Department has a year-round drop box.



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