Waukesha County holding prescription drug collection Saturday

Waukesha County will be holding a prescription drug collection from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, April 28. The collection, which is the fourth for the Waukesha County Drug Free Communities Coalition, is an effort to prevent prescription drug abuse and accidental poisonings in Waukesha County as well as help protect local waterways.

Prescription drugs are a gateway for more serious drug use, Capt. Chuck Wood, commander of the Waukesha County Metro Drug Unit, said.

"Everyone sees the danger in drugs like heroin; unfortunately many people do not recognize the danger that lies in unused prescriptions sitting in their medicine cabinets," Wood said. "Diverted pharmaceuticals, when misused, are a large contributor to the drug threat in Waukesha County."

Items that will be accepted include: Prescription medication, over the counter medication, ointments, sprays, inhalers, creams, vials, herbals and pet medications.

Items that will not be accepted include: biohazardous material (including sharps), mercury, household hazardous waste and personal hygiene products.

Seven sites countywide have been designated for the collection on Saturday: Brookfield Recycling Center, 19700 Riverview Drive; Community Memorial Hospital, N8085 Town Hall Road, Entrance B, Menomonee Falls; Muskego Police Department, S8150 Racine Ave; D.N. Greenwald Center, 240 W. Maple Ave., Mukwonago; Oconomowoc Memorial Hospital, 791 Summit Ave., Regional Cancer Center Entrance; Waukesha County Technical College, 800 Main St., Main Parking Lot, Pewaukee; and Waukesha State Bank, downtown branch, employee parking lot, St. Paul Ave. at Madison St., Waukesha.