Oneida County law enforcement taking back unwanted prescriptions

On Saturday, April 26, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., the Three Lakes Police Department, the Rhinelander Police Department, the Minocqua Police Department and the Oneida County Sheriff’s Office in conjunction with the Drug Enforcement Administration and Wisconsin Department of Justice will give the public another opportunity to prevent prescription medication abuse and prescription medication theft by eliminating their homes of potentially dangerous expired, unused, and unwanted prescription drugs. Bring your medications for disposal to one of the following sites between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.

• Minocqua Police Department, 418 E. Chicago Avenue, Minocqua.

• Rhinelander Police Department, 201 N. Brown Street, Rhinelander.

• Three Lakes Police Department, 1795 Erie Street, Three Lakes.

• Oneida County Landfill, 7450 County Highway K, Rhinelander.

Bring prescription (controlled and non-controlled) and over-the-counter medications, ointments, patches, non-aerosol sprays, inhalers, creams, vials and pet medications.

Please do not bring illegal drugs, needles/sharps, aerosol cans, bio-hazardous materials (anything containing a bodily fluid or blood), personal care products (shampoo, soaps, lotions, sunscreens, etc...), household hazardous waste (paint, pesticides, oil, gas). 

No needles/sharps will be accepted.

The service is free and anonymous, no questions asked.

Participants will be asked to empty their medication bottles into boxes. Blister packages are acceptable without the medication being removed. Liquids, creams, and non-aerosol sprays must be in their original packaging. Liquids without the original bottle or packaging will not be accepted.

Illicit substances such as marijuana or methamphetamine are not a part of this initiative and should not be placed in collection containers.

For further information, please visit http://doseofrealitywi.gov/drug-takeback.

The National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day goal is to provide a safe, convenient, and responsible means of disposal, while also educating the public about the potential for abuse of these medications. We hope Oneida County citizens will use this opportunity to dispose of unused and unneeded medications.

If you have any questions, please contact Officer Devon Gaszak (Minocqua Police Department), Captain Hebein (Oneida County Sheriff’s Office), Chief Lloyd Gauthier (Rhinelander Police Department) or Chief Lea (Three Lakes Police Department).

The Human Service Center in conjunction with the Oneida County Public Health Department have made available lock boxes at these locations as well. For more information, please contact the Human Service Center at 715-369-2215 or the Oneida County Health Department at 715-369-6111.