National Drug Take Back Day events will take place at six locations in Kenosha County on Saturday, April 26, according to an announcement from County Executive Samantha Kerkman. The collection sites will be open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and include Johnson Bank at 3928 60th St., the new Pleasant Prairie Police Station at 10111 39th Ave., Somers Fire & Rescue at 7511 12th St., the Kenosha County Center at Highways 45 and 50 in Bristol, Twin Lakes Police Department at 920 Lance Dr., and University of Wisconsin-Parkside’s Tallent Hall at 900 Wood Road.
Residents can safely dispose of unused prescription and over-the-counter medications for free during these events. Acceptable items include prescription and non-prescription medications, ointments, patches, inhalers, non-aerosol spray dispensers, creams, vials, pet medications, and vape pens or e-cigarette devices with batteries removed. Items not accepted are illegal drugs, needles or sharps, acids, aerosol cans, biohazardous materials containing bodily fluids or blood, personal care products such as shampoo or lotions, household hazardous waste like paint or pesticides, and mercury thermometers.
“I encourage people to make use of this easy, free way to dispose of medications,” Kerkman said. “Along the way, you can also learn more about the community resources that are available for people struggling with substance use, and you can equip yourself to save a life with Narcan.”
Narcan training and information about Kenosha County Behavioral Health Services will be available at all locations except for the Twin Lakes Police Department and UW-Parkside. Narcan is used to quickly reverse opioid overdoses. Training covers how to recognize overdose symptoms and administer the medication. More details about local Narcan distribution are provided at NarcanTrainedKenosha.com.
The Drug Take Back Day events are organized in partnership with the Kenosha County Sheriff’s Office; police departments from Kenosha, Pleasant Prairie, Twin Lakes and UW-Parkside; Somers Fire & Rescue; Johnson Bank; and the Kenosha County Division of Behavioral Health Services.
“Here at the Somers Fire Department, we try to find as many ways as possible to make our community safer, and these drive-through Drug Take Back Events are definitely part of making our community safer,” said Somers Fire & Rescue Chief Ben Andersen. “Please take advantage of this opportunity to properly dispose of unneeded medication and to get trained on the use of Narcan.”
Kenosha County has a diverse student population attending its schools during the current academic year. Of the county’s total enrollment of 25,402 students in the 2023-24 school year (https://dpi.wi.gov/), white students made up just over half (55.6%), while Hispanic students accounted for roughly one-quarter (25.7%) and Black students represented just over ten percent (10.4%). American Indian students were among the least represented groups at only 0.2% (https://dpi.wi.gov/).
The largest high schools by enrollment in Kenosha County for this school year include Indian Trail High School and Academy with over two thousand students enrolled (https://dpi.wi.gov/), followed by Tremper High School and Bradford High School.
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