National Drug Take-Back Day Nears; See 6 Drop-Off Sites In Napa County

Press release from the City of Napa:

Oct. 17, 2023

NAPA, CA — National Drug Take Back Day returns Saturday, Oct. 28, 2023, from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m,. at six locations throughout Napa County. Additionally, used home-generated medical sharps (used syringes and needles) and unused or expired medications can also be dropped off year-round at many locations throughout Napa County. These services are free and anonymous.

Why is proper disposal of medical sharps and unused or expired medications so important?

“Many people don’t realize that flushing medications down the toilet or putting them down the drain can lead to water pollution and harmful effects on aquatic life,” said Stephanie Turnipseed, Pollution Prevention and Outreach Coordinator with the Napa Sanitation District. “Medication can pass right through the wastewater treatment process and enter our waterways, so the best thing to do is to bring your medicines to a take-back event or one of the year-round drop-off locations for safe disposal.”

Here is a round-up of all the ways that you can dispose of: home-generated medical sharps, unused or expired prescription or over-the-counter medications, as well as controlled and non-controlled substances.

By working to properly dispose of these unwanted items, we keep our households, and our environment, safe, clean and healthy.

Drug Take Back Day is from 10 a.m . to 2 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 28.

The Police Departments of Napa, St. Helena, Calistoga, Yountville and American Canyon, as well as the Napa County Sheriff’s Office, Kaiser Permanente, and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) will host collection events for unused or expired medication (including tablets, capsules, inhalers and liquids) and medical sharps (used syringes and needles) on at several locations around Napa County.

• Please note that the Kaiser Permanente location will be drive-through only and residents are asked to store any material that they plan to drop off in their vehicle trunk. Staff will not open vehicle doors or enter vehicle cabins. It is recommended that any personal information on medication containers be removed or blacked out before dropping them off.
• These one-day collection sites can legally accept federally designated “controlled” substances that include many highly addictive prescription medications such as morphine and OxyContin, as well as illegal narcotics such as LSD and ecstasy.
• Home-generated medical sharps (needles, syringes, epinephrine auto-injectors, etc.) will also be accepted for disposal at all the October 28th sites as well. State law prohibits the disposal of home-generated sharps in trash or recycling containers.

Oct. 28 Medication AND Sharps Collection Event Sites:

American Canyon Police Department
911 Donaldson Way East, American Canyon

Napa County Sheriff’s Office
1535 Airport Blvd, Napa

Kaiser Permanente Medical Offices – East Parking Lot *Drive-Through Only*
3285 Claremont Way, Napa

Yountville Sheriff Department
1950 Mulberry Street, Yountville

St. Helena Police Department
1088 College Ave, St. Helena

Calistoga Police Department
1235 Washington Street, Calistoga

Year-Round Drop-Off Locations

Household medications can be dropped off year-round at the following locations in Napa County. Please note that no business waste is accepted. You can also check with your pharmacy to see if they accept medications. Please remove personal information from the medication containers before dropping off.

Location for Year-Round Non-Controlled Substance Drop-Off

• Hazardous Waste Collection Facility 889A Devlin Road, American Canyon • 1-800-984-9661 Friday & Saturday 9am – 4pm

Locations for Year-Round Controlled and Non-Controlled Substance Drop-Off

• Safeway 3375 Jefferson St, Napa • (707) 225-3037 103 American Canyon Rd, American Canyon • (707) 649-5150
• Kaiser Permanente Napa Pharmacy 3285 Claremont Way, Napa • (707) 258-4440
• Rite Aid 1203 West Imola Ave, Napa • (707) 255-4218
• CVS Pharmacy 675 Trancas St, Napa • (707) 252-2844 1558 Trancas St, Napa • (707) 253-7918
• Napa County Sheriff’s Office (lower lobby) 1535 Airport Blvd, Napa • (707) 253-4256
• Calistoga Police Station 1235 Washington Street, Calistoga • (707) 942-2810
• St Helena Police Station 1088 College Ave, St. Helena • (707) 967-2850
• American Canyon Police Department (front lobby) 911 Donaldson Way E, American Canyon • (707) 551-0600
• Yountville Sheriff Station 1950 Mulberry St, Yountville • (707) 944-9228 (Use call box at front door for access)

Locations for Year-Round Residential Sharps/Syringe/Needle Drop-Off Sharps must be in puncture-resistant containers.

• Hazardous Waste Collection Facility 889A Devlin Road, American Canyon • 1-800-984-9661 Friday & Saturday 9am – 4pm
• Napa County HHSA - Public Health Division 2751 Napa Valley Corporate Drive, Building B Public Health Immunization Clinic • (707) 253-4270
• Clover Flat Landfill4380 Silverado Trail, Calistoga • (707) 963-7988

SB 212 requires pharmaceutical companies to pay for a statewide medication and sharps take-back program. Manufacturers are required to run statewide stewardship programs that provide safe and convenient disposal options for pharmaceutical and home-generated medical sharps waste at no cost to the consumer. Medication collections will be available in receptacles and via pre-paid mail-back options at no cost to consumers. Sharps will be collected via a secure mail-back container at no cost to consumers. Secure sharps mail-back containers are to be provided at the point of sale or within five days by stewardship programs and containers can also be requested online. More information can be found online at: https://calrecycle.ca.gov/epr/...

Properly Disposing of Unused or Expired Medications (Prescription, Over-the-Counter, Controlled/Non-Controlled Substances)

In addition to the environmental impact of improperly disposed medications, prescription and over-the-counter drugs that remain in home cabinets are highly susceptible to misuse and abuse. Rates of prescription drug abuse in the U.S. are alarmingly high, as are the number of accidental poisonings and overdoses due to these drugs. Studies show that the majority of abused prescription drugs are obtained from family and friends, including from the home medicine cabinet. Year-round opportunities for safe and legal disposal of both controlled and non-controlled substances can also be found online at www.naparecycling.com/medicine.

“The safe use of medications is very important to us," said Katherine Medina, PharmD, Area Pharmacy Director, Kaiser Permanente Napa-Solano Area. “Keeping unwanted medications, prescription or over-the-counter medications, increases the chance of accidental use. This is especially important for our elderly population and children. This is why we are proud to partner with local law enforcement and other community partners to encourage people to properly dispose of unused or expired medications through this free Drug Take Back collection event.”

Properly Disposing of Home-Generated Medical Sharps

Improper disposal of home-generated medical sharps is a health and safety threat to children, home health care providers, trash & recycling workers, and pets through accidental needle stick injuries. Sharps that are not disposed of properly can also end up on beaches and riverbanks, waterways, parks and more. Ideally, sharps should only be transported in an approved container obtained from a physician or pharmacy. A tightly sealed, leak- and puncture-resistant container with a lid, such as a bleach bottle, coffee can, or other similar container, is an acceptable alternative for transportation of sharps to the event. These containers should be labeled as “sharps.” Mail-back services are also available for your home-generated sharps. Year-round options for residential medical sharps can also be found online at www.naparecycling.com/needles-and-sharps

Event Sponsors and Supporters

These annual Drug Take Back Day events would not be possible without the ongoing support of the following organizations:

Drug Enforcement Administration, Napa County Sheriff’s Department, Napa Police Department, American Canyon Police Department, Calistoga Police Department, St. Helena Police Department, Yountville Sheriff Department, City of Napa Recycling Division, Napa County, Kaiser Permanente, Napa Sanitation District, Upper Valley Waste Management Agency, Napa Recycling & Waste Services/Napa County Recycling & Waste Services and the Napa Opioid Safety Coalition.

This press release was produced by the City of Napa. The views expressed here are the author’s own.