Drug Safety & Disposal
Our Harm Reduction program has many resources to help you and your loved ones reduce the risk of overdose and overdose deaths. At any of our health department locations, we have many different resources for you:
Safeguard Your Prescriptions -Prescription lock bag are available for free at any of our clinics
Fentanyl Test Strips – Inquire with our Harm Reduction Specialist
If you use needles for illegal drug use, you may be at risk for HIV or Hepatitis C. We encourage you to make an appointment with us to schedule testing for free.
No matter who you are or the purpose you’re using your needles, we encourage you to take precautions to safely dispose of them. Follow the steps below for safe disposal:
Immediately place used needles and other sharps in a sharps disposal container to reduce the risk of needle sticks, cuts and punctures
DO NOT use a plastic soda bottle or water bottle as your sharps container.
DO NOT throw loose needles or other sharps into the trash
DO NOT flush them down the toilet.
Consider obtaining a home needle destruction device that can clip the needle of a syringe so it can be safely thrown away.
When your container is ¾ full, put the lid on, seal it with duct tape, label with “DO NOT RECYCLE”. Then you can place it into the household trash. OR, find your local disposal drop-off location here.
We recommend you give us a call or call your solid waste hauler to ask what the best option is for your community for safe sharps disposal. Check out this Safe Needle Disposal Fact Sheet for more information.
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