Spring cleaning does include your meds by Michelle Libby

Spring cleaning shouldn’t only apply to closets and cabinets, it should also include expired prescription medications, according to DARE and Windham Police Officer Matt Cyr. On Saturday, April 27, there will be an opportunity to dispose of unused, expired medication in a proper way at the Windham Police Department from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

“Really, medicines are just like our food, they all have expiration dates. The medicine could change into something else once it expires,” said Cyr.

Windham participates every time there is a national drug take back day, once in the spring and once in the fall. “It’s a multi-direction diversion, taking (the drugs) off the streets and out of houses and safely disposing of them,” said Cyr. The old way of disposing of the drugs was to flush them down the toilet, but now the medications are getting into the ground water supply and showing up in fish, said Cyr. That was definitely the old way to dispose of them.

“Don’t keep pain meds or antidepressants in the house,” he said, noting that break-ins occur because thieves are looking for drugs. 

Drugs collected on April 27 will be shipped to DEA headquarters and incinerated out-of-state. 

Last spring the Windham Police Department collected just over 100 pounds of pills. 

“It’s a great program. Just drop and run,” Cyr said. The only things they won’t accept are hypodermic needles or other sharps. 

Cyr is hoping to be able to collect pills all year long in a locked container in the police lobby, but he is waiting on a decision from the administration and a funding source, he said. 

For a list of locations that are participating in the drug take back day visit, www.dea.gov.