'Take Back My Meds MKE' urges you to do some spring cleaning, dispose of unused medications



MILWAUKEE -- Spring is here -- and so is an important message about preventing opioid addiction. The organization "Take Back My Meds MKE" said the first day of spring is the perfect day to dispose of unused medication.

Michelle Jaskulski



Michelle Jaskulski said her son became addicted to painkillers after being prescribed Percocet when he was 18 years old.

"Twelve months later, he came to my husband and I and said he thinks he had a problem for prescription opioids," Jaskulski said.

On Tuesday, March 20, Jaskulski, a member of the Addiction Policy Forum, was joined by Jon Richards of "Take Back My Meds MKE."



"It prevents addiction and it also protects Lake Michigan," Richards said.

The group promotes disposing unused medication in drop boxes -- like the one inside the Hayat Pharmacy on W. North Ave. in Milwaukee.



"Come in with your expired or unused medication, open the tab here, place it inside and that's it. No questions asked," said Baker Al-Qudsi of Hayat Pharmacy.

In fact, Hayat was the first pharmacy in the state to have drop boxes.

"Disposing your medications is a very big problem and was a very big problem when we started. And we wanted to make sure we provided a solution to a problem people may or may not realized existed," Al-Qudsi said.

Now that the season of spring cleaning has begun, these advocates say it is time to safely throw out old medicine.

"It's just responsible ownership," Jaskulski said.