Medication pills and medicated patches now have a disposal home in the lobby of the Santa Barbara Police Department at 215 E. Figueroa St. With prescription drug abuse on the upswing, incidents of accidental ingestion, overdose, and poisoning have risen. Now the public can anonymously and safely throw away unwanted, expired, and unused prescriptions and over-the-counter meds in the drug disposal box.
The safe disposal not only prevents others from swiping the contents of home medicine cabinets but also can protect fish and other ocean dwellers; wastewater treatment plants are not designed to remove pharmaceuticals that get flushed. The disposal box is limited to pills and patches. Liquids, needles, sharps, and other medical waste are not accepted.