Cook County mandates largest drug take-back program in the U.S.

Press release from the Product Stewardship Institute…

This week, Cook County, Illinois adopted an ordinance that will provide over five million residents with convenient access to safe drug disposal. The ordinance makes Cook County the largest jurisdiction in the U.S. to require drug companies to safely dispose of unwanted medications, and adds to the two states, nine counties, and two cities in the U.S. with similar drug take-back laws.

Over $1 billion in leftover drugs are thrown in the trash, flushed, or consigned to medicine cabinets each year. Prescription drug abuse is the fastest growing drug problem in the U.S., and nearly 70% of people who begin using prescription drugs non-medically get them from a family member or friend, often from medicine cabinets. Drugs left in the home also put seniors, children, and pets at risk for accidental poisoning. When flushed or put in the trash, over-the-counter medications and prescription drugs can contaminate our drinking water and harm aquatic species. Please click here to read the full press release.