WI P2D2 (Prescription Pill and Drug Disposal)

After being told over and over by the WI Dept of Natural Resources, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) and other local government agencies that they couldn’t help me and that a 14 year could not possibly tackle this level of a project, I was tenacious in my determination to organize a drug collection event for my hometown. I gave presentations to the police department, local hospital, civic organizations, pharmacists and City Council and everyone was excited to help make this happen. I am proud to say that the first drug disposal event in Reedsburg, WI was held on Saturday, September 12th and it was a monumental success! P2D2 collected over 440 pounds of drugs and also hosted a flu shot clinic, a free sharps disposal and a free mercury thermometer swap (the 1st 100 people with mercury thermometers were given free digital thermometers). Just one mercury thermometer can contaminate a seven acre lake. The cost to dispose of household hazardous waste is $3/pound and so far I have raised over $7,000 to cover these disposal costs. I worked hard to win the respect and cooperation of my local government and police department along with state and national agencies. My goal is to make this project self-sustainable, by helping the City to purchase a permanent drop off box for the drugs and obtaining funds to pay for the disposal costs year-round. In the beginning, the local police department was not willing to help and actually tried to dissuade me from pursuing this project. However, once they realized how determined I was to conduct a drug collection event; they were on board and even purchased an incinerator which they can use to dispose of some of the drugs that are collected. This has made Reedsburg, Wisconsin the first teen-driven, self-sustainable, drug collection program in the world!! Being only 14 has its many downfalls in trying to pursue a project in an adult’s world, but I am proud to say that I am also the first teenager to have written and been awarded a Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade & Consumer Protection grant and a local grant to secure funds for future WI P2D2 events. I am working with volunteers in Illinois and P2D2 has now spread to six states and is responsible for collecting over 100,000 pounds of drugs! I am currently writing letters to my state lawmakers asking for their assistance in making drug disposal much easier for consumers. Educating the public is the only way to stop the environmental damage that we are doing to our world and the only way to save our teens from prescription drug abuse, which is why I am also sending packets of information to other municipalities that explain how to develop their own drug disposal projects.