December 17, 2019, Tuesday - Prescription Drug Take Back Event at Hennepin County Government Center

Time: 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. 

Location: Hennepin County Government Center, 300 S 6th Street, Skyway level

Tuesday, December 17th, the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office and Hennepin County will host a prescription drug take back event in the Hennepin County Government Center. This event provides Hennepin County employees and anyone who lives or works in downtown Minneapolis an opportunity to safely dispose of unwanted and unused medications, eliminating the possibility that they are abused.

Hennepin County Sheriff’s deputies will also hand out free medication disposal pouches for residents who may have additional medications at home that they wish to dispose of properly.

“This event gives people downtown the chance to get rid of old medications before the New Year,” said Hennepin County Sheriff David P. Hutchinson. “We are glad to host our fourth and final take back event of the year in the Government Center. We’re also happy to share that this event came about because of the suggestion of one of our Twitter followers. We always welcome suggestions from the public on how we can serve the people of Hennepin County.”

Last year, about 2 million Americans misused prescription pain relievers for the first time. Flushing medication or throwing it in the trash is bad for our natural environment. Proper storage and disposal of medication is a critical component part of addressing the opioid epidemic. For more information about the opioid addiction crisis and how the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office is working to fight it, visit hennepinsheriff.org/stop. The majority of prescription drug abusers say that they obtained their supply of prescription medications from friends and family. Properly disposing of prescription medication, such as opioids, can significantly decrease the likelihood of individuals having access to these highly addictive drugs.

There are over 30 year-round medicine drop boxes located throughout Hennepin County. For a full listing, including a map of locations, visit hennepin.us/medicine.