Time to clean out your medicine cabinets, Medford.
The Medford Township Police will be hosting an Operation Take Back local collection site as part of the Operation Take Back medicine disposal day.
The event will take place at the Medford Township Public Safety Building, which located at 91 Union Street, between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. on April 30.
This initiative, which is open to all residents, was organized to encourage local community residents to properly dispose of their unused, unwanted and expired medicine anonymously.
Last September, Americans turned in over 242,000 pounds — 121 tons- of prescription drugs at nearly 4,100 sites.
“Last fall the Medford Police saw an overwhelming response to our prescription drug take-back events,” Medford Police Captain Keith McIninch said. “We have once again partnered with the Drug Enforcement Administration to help eliminate homes of potentially harmful prescription drugs.”
This initiative addresses a vital public safety and public health issue. Medicines that languish in home cabinets are highly susceptible to diversion, misuse, and abuse.
Rates of prescription drug abuse in the U.S. are alarmingly high- more Americans currently abuse prescription drugs than the number of those using cocaine, hallucinogens, and heroin combined, according to the 2009 National Survey on Drug Use and Health.
Studies show that individuals that abuse prescription drugs often obtained them from family and friends, including the home medicine cabinet.
In addition, many Americans do not know how to properly dispose of their unused medicine, often flushing them down the toilet or throwing them away- both potential safety and health hazards.
For more information, and other collection sites, visit www.dea.gov, and click on the “Got Drugs?” banner.
