The National Perscription Take Back Event in Burlington that took place in September, at the Hy-Vee Food Store on Agency Street, took back a record amount of mercury thermometers, syringes, and prescription medications.
The Burlington Police Department Reserve Unit, the Southeast Iowa Narcotics Task Force, the Des Moines County Public Health Department, and the HazChem Center/DMC Regional Solid Waste Commission participated in the National Prescription Take Back on Saturday, September 26th, sponsored by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).
During this event, over 20 mercury thermometers, over 2,500 syringes, and approximately 411 pounds of prescription medications were dropped off. This is the largest collection to date and could possibly be listed as one of the top ten amounts collected in the nation.
The Burlington Police Department and the Southeast Iowa Narcotics Task Force thank the volunteers from the Des Moines County Public Health Department, DMC Cert team and the HazChem Center/DMC Regional Waste Commission for their valued participation in this event. Additionally, we are grateful to the Hy-vee Food Store on Agency Street for hosting the event and the Sherwood Company for directional signage donated for the collection location.
The success of this program was made possible because of the dedication and support of the volunteers and local businesses. However, the citizen involvement in a conscious effort to assure unused, unsafe and unwanted hazardous materials and medications are properly disposed, helps make our community a safer place to live, work and play.
