AG says Wisconsin's 7th drug take-back day may be biggest yet

Saturday was drug take-back day throughout the state of Wisconsin.

The event gives anyone a safe place for anyone to drop off unused medications - so the drugs don't get into water systems, or in the hands of someone they're not prescribed to.

"It's easy. Put them in a bag, drop them off, no questions asked," said Marge Andrejat.

Andrejat works in the medical field and has seen the effect of opioid addiction. She came to the West Allis Police Department to drop off hers and her dog's medication.

"He did have sugery, and he was on heavy medication, and I brought him home, and he didn't really need it. I thought, 'What am I going to do with it?' I figured I would dispose of it like I would people drugs," said Andrejat.

Attorney General Brad Schimel started the statewide drug take back day in 2015.

"Over 70 percent of the time, when people start abusing those pain killers, they didn't get them from a doctor, they didn't get them from a drug dealer, they get them from either a family member shared them, a friend shared them or they stole the," said Attorney General Brad Schimel, Wisconsin Department of Justice. "We would never leave a loaded handgun on the counter with children coming in and out of our house, and yet too many of us are not carefuly about what's in our bathroom. Pills are killing more people than guns."

Schimel says the awareness is there, now he wants the action to be natural

"We're making this as easy as we can. Eventually we hope this just becomes routine, that you never leave them laying around in a drawer," said Schimel.

The attorney general spent the morning in at the West Allis Police Department drop off. He says some of the drug takeback credit is owed to West Allis Police Chief Patrick Mitchell.

"West Allis has been hit hard by the opioid epidemic. Over 40 inviduals in the last 27 months have died from opiates. The biggest thing do to prevent this is to get pills out of houses," said Chief Mitchell.

Chief Mitchell helped start the statewide effort when he was with the DOJ, and today was the 7th drug takeback day.

The state has already collected 330,000 lbs, which translated to 17 semi-truck loads of unused medicine.

Based on early numbers, AG Schimel says this may be the biggest takeback day yet.

The final tally will happen on Monday, and then the semi trucks will be taken to an incinerator.

If you weren't able to make it to the "take-back" today, you aren't too late.

Many drop off locations are open 24/7, to find the one closest to you, visit doseofrealitywi.gov