# RCW 69.48.010: RCW 69.48.010: Findings

> Washington · Statutes · In force

URL: https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/STATE_WA_T69_C48_S010

## Section

- **Citation:** RCW 69.48.010
- **Heading:** RCW 69.48.010: Findings
- **Jurisdiction:** Washington
- **Kind:** Statutes
- **Status:** In force
- **Text as of:** August 14, 2026
- **Source:** Compiled text
- **Location:** Washington Code / Title 69 / Chapter 48 / Section 010

## Text

(1) Abuse, fatal overdoses, and poisonings from prescription and over-the-counter medicines used in the home have emerged as an epidemic in recent years. Poisoning is the leading cause of unintentional injury-related death in Washington, and more than ninety percent of poisoning deaths are due to drug overdoses. Poisoning by prescription and over-the-counter medicines is also one of the most common means of suicide and suicide attempts, with poisonings involved in more than twenty-eight thousand suicide attempts between 2004 and 2013. (2) Home medicine cabinets are the most common source of prescription drugs that are diverted and misused. Studies find about seventy percent of those who abuse prescription medicines obtain the drugs from family members or friends, usually for free. People who are addicted to heroin often first abused prescription opiate medicines. Unused, unwanted, and expired medicines that accumulate in homes increase risks of drug abuse, overdoses, and preventable poisonings. (3) A safe system for the collection and disposal of unused, unwanted, and expired medicines is a key element of a comprehensive strategy to prevent prescription drug abuse, but disposing of medicines by flushing them down the toilet or placing them in the garbage can contaminate groundwater and other bodies of water, contributing to long-term harm to the environment and animal life. (4) The legislature therefore finds that it is in the interest of public health to establish a single, uniform, statewide system of regulation for safe and secure collection and disposal of medicines through drug "take-back" programs operated and funded by drug manufacturers.

## Nearby sections

- [RCW 69.48.010 RCW 69.48.010: Findings.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/STATE_WA_T69_C48_S010.md)
- [RCW 69.48.020 RCW 69.48.020: Definitions.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/STATE_WA_T69_C48_S020.md)
- [RCW 69.48.030 RCW 69.48.030: Requirement to participate in a drug take-back program.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/STATE_WA_T69_C48_S030.md)
- [RCW 69.48.040 RCW 69.48.040: Identification of covered manufacturers.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/STATE_WA_T69_C48_S040.md)
- [RCW 69.48.050 RCW 69.48.050: Drug take-back program approval—Program modifications.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/STATE_WA_T69_C48_S050.md)
- [RCW 69.48.060 RCW 69.48.060: Collection system.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/STATE_WA_T69_C48_S060.md)
- [RCW 69.48.070 RCW 69.48.070: Drug take-back program promotion.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/STATE_WA_T69_C48_S070.md)
- [RCW 69.48.080 RCW 69.48.080: Disposal and handling of covered drugs.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/STATE_WA_T69_C48_S080.md)
- [RCW 69.48.090 RCW 69.48.090: Program funding.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/STATE_WA_T69_C48_S090.md)
- [RCW 69.48.100 RCW 69.48.100: Annual program report.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/STATE_WA_T69_C48_S100.md)
- [RCW 69.48.110 RCW 69.48.110: Enforcement and penalties.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/STATE_WA_T69_C48_S110.md)
- [RCW 69.48.120 RCW 69.48.120: Department to set program fees.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/STATE_WA_T69_C48_S120.md)
- [RCW 69.48.130 RCW 69.48.130: Secure drug take-back program account.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/STATE_WA_T69_C48_S130.md)
- [RCW 69.48.140 RCW 69.48.140: Antitrust immunity.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/STATE_WA_T69_C48_S140.md)

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Source: Frix Law Library, https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/STATE_WA_T69_C48_S010. Check the current official text before relying on it. Not legal advice.