Heroin task force chair pleased, as Wisconsin one of best in nation on drug take back day

Drug take back day in Wisconsin was astounding, compared to its neighbors.

The 61,541 pounds of unused medication dropped off was more than Michigan, Minnesota and Iowa combined.

Chris Eberlein, co-chair of the La Crosse County Heroin Task Force, said that doesn’t count the communities like La Crosse that offers daily boxes.

“If we’re No. 3 in the country on the take back days, we’re probably close to, if not leading the country in getting drugs out of the household,” he said.

The only other two states that surpassed Wisconsin were California and Texas.

Eberlein added that the take back days shouldn’t be the only resource for people.

“The drop-off days are a great idea and successful but ideally you don’t want them to sit in your cabinet for six months either,” he said.

The main reason to get rid of unused medications, Eberlein said, is it eliminates temptation for someone who abuses drugs, and teens won’t have the opportunity to experiment.