On Saturday, April 27, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., community youth substance use prevention coalitions, law enforcement agencies, and community organizations are collaborating to host five drive-thru drug take-back events at different locations across Clark County.
Community members are encouraged to bring their unused and expired prescriptions and over‐the‐counter medications for safe, free disposal to any one of the following drive-thru event sites:
Clark County Event Sites:
- Walgreens Cascade Park - 13503 SE Mill Plain Blvd., Vancouver, WA
- PeaceHealth Memorial Campus - 33rd & Main St. (South Back Lot), Vancouver, WA
- Battle Ground Police Department - 507 SW 1st St., Battle Ground, WA
- Washougal Police Department - 1320 A St., Washougal, WA
- La Center Police Department - 105 W 5th St., La Center, WA
All prescription and over‐the‐counter medications including pills, liquids, and inhalers will be accepted at any of the drive‐thru disposal events. Medications not in original containers will also be accepted. Removal of personal information on medication labels or packaging is not required for disposal at the event sites.
Please note that the PeaceHealth Southwest Memorial Campus event site and Walgreens Cascade Park are the only locations accepting sharps and syringes for disposal from noncommercial sources only. Additionally, all event sites will collect vape pens and e‐cigarettes without batteries for disposal.
Community‐based medicine take‐back events and year-round disposal programs are the only safe and most environmentally protective way to dispose of medication. Medicine should never be flushed or thrown in the trash as it pollutes the environment and waterways, puts kids and pets at risk for accidental ingestion and poisonings, and could be retrieved and misused by someone it wasn’t prescribed for.
Kelley Groen‐Sieckmann, Community Prevention Project Coordinator with the Central Vancouver Coalition and ESD 112 said, “Take back events are meant to promote safe medication disposal and encourage community members to remove unneeded medications from their homes as a standard practice for preventing prescription drug misuse and opioid addiction from ever starting, reducing the risk for accidental ingestion or poisonings, and preventing medication from ending up in landfills and our drinking water.
“Statistics show that 75 percent of opioid misuse starts with people using medication that wasn’t prescribed for them – usually taken from a friend or family member, and each year over 60,000 children under age six end up in emergency rooms from accidentally ingesting medication,” explains Groen‐Sieckmann. “However, simple steps like properly disposing of medications and storing medicine in a locked location can help prevent accidental poisonings, prescription drug misuse, and overall decrease the spread of the opioid problem we are seeing in our region and across the country,” she added.
Medicine take‐back events in Southwest Washington are funded in partnership with Washington State Health Care Authority, law enforcement, and youth substance misuse prevention coalitions. For more info about the event, visit https://bit.ly/3UeBKvf. If you’re unable to make it to the April 27 event, you can find a year-round medicine disposal site or order free envelopes to dispose of medicine by mail at MedTakeBackWashington.org. Take the pledge to lock your meds and learn about the benefits and how to store medication in a locked location at www.LocksSaveLives.org.
ABOUT CENTRAL VANCOUVER COALITION:
Supported by the fiscal agent ESD 112, Central Vancouver Coalition is a Community Prevention and Wellness Initiative coalition formed in 2018 to reduce and prevent youth substance use by building an inclusive, resilient, and connected community through awareness, education, and collaboration. As a community mobilizer, we promote resilience and growth through community and strive to create a culture promoting healthy choices, advocating for initiatives and policies that protect, empower and nurture youth, and facilitating positive opportunities for youth to be involved and thrive. For more info, visit www.centralvancoalition.org.
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Educational Service District 112 is happy to announce participation in a new three-year initiative that will provide funding to expand programs and supports that will help students find ways to transition from high school into postsecondary education opportunities, including two- and four-year degrees, apprenticeships, and valued credentials needed for more than 70% of the region’s jobs. The initiative will include a particular focus on those facing the most significant barriers to opportunity, including students from rural and low-income backgrounds and Black, Latino, and Indigenous students. ESD 112 is one of four regional partnerships in Washington state that will participate in this pioneering initiative, the Horizons Grant Program, funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
“The Horizons Grant Program is empowering rural schools and their higher education allies to launch innovative advising roles,” said Vickei Hrdina, Director of Career Readiness & STEM Initiative Programs at ESD 112. “These positions directly link students’ post-high school goals with mentorship, dual enrollment opportunities, financial guidance for further education, and customized support tailored for rural students.”
For over 50 years, ESD 112 has enhanced educational equity and opportunities in Southwest Washington and beyond. We support teaching and learning and offer business and administrative expertise to large and small school districts. Working with education and community partners, we serve over 99,000 K-12 students across 30 public districts, 34 private schools, and two state schools. We also directly impact approximately 17,000 children annually throughout our region and state, providing essential resources and opportunities for every child to succeed.
The Horizons Grant Program provides a comprehensive support system offering funding and technical assistance. This assistance is crucial for learning about and implementing proven strategies that facilitate students’ progression beyond high school. Moreover, it empowers regions to harness data effectively, ensuring programs are finely tuned to student needs.
Each regional partnership has received an initial planning grant to collaborate with technical experts. These partnerships are crucial for setting concrete goals and crafting detailed implementation plans due for finalization this fall, with subsequent funding to support these plans.
Nearly 90% of Washington’s high school students express a desire to continue their education. In Southwest Washington, less than 45% of high school graduates pursue further education or training, and only 38% complete credential programs – a number that drops to 23% in rural areas. The Horizons Grant Program aims to bridge this gap by focusing on local empowerment and resources.
ESD 112 will administer the funds to partners throughout the Southwest Washington region, including:
- School districts: Ocean Beach, Naselle-Grays River Valley, Wahkiakum, Castle Rock, Toutle Lake, Kalama, Hockinson, Trout Lake, Glenwood, Stevenson-Carson, White Salmon Valley, Klickitat, Lyle, Wishram
- Colleges: WSU Vancouver, Lower Columbia College, Clark College
- Other partners supporting this initiative: Workforce Southwest Washington, the South Central Workforce Board, the Columbia River, Cowlitz, and Mid-Columbia Economic Development Councils, the Greater Vancouver Chamber, Skamania County Chamber of Commerce, and two REACH 21st Century Learning Centers.
The funding will ultimately enhance the visibility and accessibility of postsecondary options to high school students, countering the decline in interest observed since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The Horizons initiative is allowing our rural schools to directly partner with higher education and workforce partners and reframe the way advising for what comes beyond high school,” said Hrdina. “What we hope to create is a more seamless transition from high school to a credential program where support is shared between schools, higher education, families and communities.”
The partnership between ESD 112, the Gates Foundation, and local educational institutions under the Horizons Grant Program heralds a new era of postsecondary educational opportunity and equity. By combining resources, expertise, and a deep understanding of community needs, we are set to make a profound impact on Southwest Washington communities.