Thursday, January 16, 2014

Prescription Drug Take Back, Permanent Box

Prescription Take Back Box In Lobby of Sheriff's Office

Mesa County, Colo. -- In partnership with the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDHPE), the Mesa County Sheriff's Office Administrative lobby has a new green box in it. Prescription drug take back is normally a community event held twice a year for citizens to safely dispose of unused, expired and unwanted over-the-counter and/or prescription drugs. Those biannual events will continue with local law enforcement. 

Mark your calendar for April 26, 2014, for the next national Prescription Drug Take Back event to be held at: Palisade Police Department, Fruita Police Department, Grand Junction Police Department and at our main office in downtown Grand Junction.

But starting today, every business day our agency main lobby is open to the public (current hours are 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday, holidays excluded), citizens can access this drug take back box. The box was given to our agency from CDHPE at no cost. Our partnership with them requires us making the box available to the public. We are very excited about this partnership!

Again, we will continue to participate in the national events, currently happening twice a year. But in between those national events our lobby has this box available for proper and safe disposal of your over-the-counter and prescription medications. This is a no questions asked service, however we can not accept a few items, listed here:
  • Needles/Sharps
  • Aerosol
  • Mercury Containing Item(s)
  • Chemotherapy or Radio Active Substances
  • Oxygen
  • Pressurized Canisters
Mesa County Hazardous Waste Collection Facility will take many of these items, such as: needles/sharps, pressurized/aerosol and mercury containing items, free of charge from Mesa County residents, Thursdays through Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. However, they are NOT able to accept controlled substances (narcotics), chemotherapy or radio-active substances or oxygen tanks. Mesa County Hazardous Waste Facility can be reached directly at (970) 257-9336 or (970) 256-9543 for more information, or visit their website: www.mesacounty.us/swm