Full Notification

The  Sheriff’s Office is asking for your participation tonight at a community meeting to discuss the development of a plan for Santa Barbara County to safely and conveniently dispose of leftover medications.

The meeting is tonight,July 14, at 6:00 p.m. at the Santa Barbara County Public Health Auditorium located at 300 N. San Antonio Road.

There is also another community meeting this Thursday, July 16, at 6 p.m. at the Santa Maria Public Library located at 421 S. McClelland Street.

In 2009, the Sheriff’s Office launched “Operation Medicine Cabinet,” a program which provides residents safe options for disposal of unwanted household medications. The development of the program resulted from the Sheriff’s Office desire to reduce availability and accessibility of household medication, including prescription drugs, for abuse, especially among teens. Operation Medicine Cabinet is the only method presently available for residents to safely and legally dispose of unwanted meds and has been highly successful. The Sheriff’s Office estimates 32,400 pounds have been collected from residents since 2009. However, with only 8 drop off bins for the entire county, the program is only collecting a fraction of unused household medication. Bins are not conveniently accessible for many residents and upon arrival, many residents find the bin closest to their home is overflowing. Further, the Sheriff’s Office has limited capacity to continue to operate the program. 

The Board of Supervisors is asking for community input to deal with the challenge of disposing medications without contaminating the environment. All concerned stakeholders are invited to attend and contribute including, but not limited to, representatives from public health, law enforcement, pharmaceutical manufacturers and retailers, prescribers, water districts, waste management, community based organizations and advocates for drug abuse prevention, seniors and the environment.

Your participation is vital to our success.