Residents can bring their unused or expired medications to the police department from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
The Washington Township Police Department will be taking part in the United States Drug Enforcement Administration’s 14th National Prescription Drug Take Back Day on Saturday, Oct. 28. Residents can bring their unused or expired medications to the WTPD (1 McClure Drive, Sewell) from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
National Prescription Drug Take Back Day aims to provide a safe, convenient and responsible means of disposing of prescription drugs, while also educating the general public about the potential for abuse and medications.
The event takes place twice per year. The 13th National Prescription Drug Take Back Day was held on April 29, and more than 900,000 pounds (45 tons) of medications were turned into officers at 5,498 collection sites. This includes more than 15,000 pounds in New Jersey alone. Since its outset in September 2010, these events have altogether collected 8,103,363 pounds (4,052 tons) of prescription drugs.
The National Prescription Drug Take Back Day Initiative addresses a crucial public safety and public health issue. According to the 2015 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 6.4 million Americans abused controlled prescription drugs. The study shows that a majority of abused prescription drugs were obtained from family and friends, often from the home medicine cabinet. The DEA’s Take Back Day events provide an opportunity for Americans to prevent drug addiction and overdose deaths.
“Too often, unused prescription drugs find their way into the wrong hands. That’s dangerous and often tragic,” acting DEA Administrator Chuck Rosenberg said after April’s event. “That’s why it was great to see thousands of folks from across the country clean out their medicine cabinets and turn in — safely and anonymously — a record amount of prescription drugs.”
For more information on the Washington Township collection, visit www.washingtontwppolice.org. National event information can be found at www.dea.gov.
