Opioids, central nervous system depressants, and stimulants are the top three classes of prescription drugs with the highest use nationally, conformable National Institute on Drug Abuse.

In light of this, the Iowa City Police Department and the Iowa City Waste and Recycling Center have partnered to bring Johnson County residents a collection event to dispose of unwanted and outdated medications and sharps.

Events like these are organized nationwide by the US Drug Enforcement Agency, also known as the DEA, to National Prescription Drug Take Back Day. The drop-off event was held on Saturday, October 26th from 10 am to 2 pm in the parking lot of the East Side Recycling Center in Iowa City.

Iowa City resident Martha Knight wants the community to have events like this more than twice a year and to promote them better. Knight had only heard of the event by word of mouth, but when he searched, he couldn’t find much information about it.

“Events like these are very important. I mean, it came at the right time for me because we’re closing on my mom’s house, so there’s a lot of old recipes to get rid of,” Knight said.

Prescription Drug Take Back Day is designed to reduce the risk of prescription drug abuse. Prescription drug abuse has led to an increase in emergency room visits, drug use disorder admissions, and overdose deaths over the past 15 years, reported by the National Institute for Drug Abuse.

Improper disposal of sharps can result in needlestick injuries. If needles are thrown in the trash at home instead of being left in a designated place in a sharps container or an old laundry detergent bottle, waste management employees are at greater risk of getting stuck. Injuries from needlesticks can lead to the transmission of infectious diseases such as hepatitis B, hepatitis C or HIV.

Resource Management Superintendent for the City of Iowa City Jennifer Jordan expressed how important it is to properly dispose of used needles, given that several employees at the Iowa City Landfill have been struck by sharp objects in the past two years.

“It hasn’t happened to me, but for the staff who have, it’s terrifying. There is a whole series of tests that have to take place. It’s a big deal to make sure they don’t have a long-term impact on their health,” Jordan said.

The Iowa City landfill cannot accept or drop off controlled substances at the hazardous materials facility during normal hours of operation, but because they are required to have an officer present at the event, Johnson County residents could rid their households of said substances .

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Iowa City Police Detective Niles Mercer was on hand Saturday at the East Side Recycling Center to oversee the collection.

“Each spring and fall, we generally prevent about 250 pounds of pharmaceutical waste from going to landfill,” Mercer said.

At the end of the event, Mercer took possession of what was left and ensured that the substances would be bundled with other pharmaceuticals to be transported for destruction. In this case, all substances collected at the collection event will be incinerated.

The Iowa City Police Department has a secure drop-off box for unwanted or expired medication at 410 E Washington St. if residents were unable to make it to the East Side Recycling Center on Saturday.

Improper disposal of pharmaceuticals by flushing them down the toilet can adversely affect aquatic ecosystems. Marine life may experience adverse effects on reproduction, growth and behavior when exposed to washed substances, according to EPA.

“In Iowa City, it appears to be a young, vibrant community, but really, there are a lot of older people here who need services like this,” Knight said.

Knight also acknowledged that younger residents would need to use events like these and that health conditions that require injectables affect many people in the state of Iowa.

EPA appraisal each year, eight million people across the country use more than three billion needles, syringes and lancets to manage medical conditions at home, making it difficult for landfills to properly protect the substances and sharps that end up in landfills .

“Make sure sharp objects are properly held,” Jordan said. “It’s a real safety issue.”