ls increased the amount of prescription drug drop-off locations Monday in an effort to reduce the heroin “epidemic” in Madison.
The MedDrop program is a system where people can dispose of their unwanted medications at designated locations so that drugs are kept out of the community water supply and are not consumed by others.
“This is a problem that didn’t develop overnight [and] it’s not going to end overnight,” Dane County Executive Joe Parisi said.
The MedDrop program is part of a city and county-wide initiative, in partnership with Safe Communities, to address drug-poisoning in Madison and Dane County.
Poisoning deaths were the leading cause of injury-related death last year in Dane County and two-thirds of poisoning deaths resulted from drug overdoses, according to Parisi.
Mayor Paul Soglin also urged people to bring their unwanted medications to the designated locations.
“Do it now, do it today,” Soglin said. “This is not something that you can put off.”
Parisi said 11 tons of prescription medications have been collected at the four previously existing MedDrop locations in Fitchburg, Madison East District, Middleton and Sun Prairie, which have been in place since 2007.
Officials are adding drop-off locations to the Cambridge, Deerfield, Madison West District, Mazomanie, McFarland and Waunakee police departments.
In response to the fourthannual National Take Back Initiative, UW-Madison Police Department will also have a drop-off location on April 27 at 1429 Monroe Street, across from Camp Randall, from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m.
