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New DEQ Household Drug Take Back Map
 Looking for the best location to return your unwanted medications so they can be properly disposed? Look no further! The Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) launched a new, interactive DEQ Household Drug Take Back Map that is simple and easy to use.
Save a life today and preserve our water for tomorrow by disposing of your medications at a take back location near you. If a take back location is not available, see our Save a Life Card for instructions on how to properly dispose of household medications in the trash.
Proper drug disposal is important because it helps protect human health and our environment. Unwanted drugs should not be flushed down the drain. Medications in the home should be kept secure to prevent unlawful use or accidental poisoning. When medications are no longer needed, they should be sent for incineration to destroy the chemicals within the drugs and prevent them from entering the water resources we use for drinking water.
Incineration is the preferred disposal method because scientists have detected medications in our water at low levels across the U.S., in Europe, and here in our Great Lakes too. Medications generally do not break down in the environment and have been found to cause changes in aquatic life, like fish and frogs at detected levels. Fortunately, there are no known health effects for people at these levels.
Learn more about proper drug disposal from healthcare or home, and find useful patient resources on the DEQ Drug Disposal web page at www.michigan.gov/deqdrugdisposal.
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Contact Christine Grossman at 517-284-6860 with questions.
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