Prescription Drug Collection Saturday

PRESS RELEASE
October 24, 2011
For Immediate Release
Contact: Bernie Weisenfeld- PIO

Law enforcement agencies throughout Gloucester County and New Jersey will again be accepting drop-offs of expired or unwanted prescription medications on Saturday (10/29) in what is now a three-year effort to rid homes of potentially dangerous drugs that are diverted from their intended use and abused.

All Gloucester County police departments, the county sheriff’s Office and the Rowan University Police Department will staff collection locations for “Operation Take Back New Jersey” from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Collection locations can be found by going to the Web site www.dea.gov and clicking on the “Got Drugs?” banner.

Last April, Americans turned in 188 tons of prescription medicines at nearly 5,400 sites.

More than seven million Americans abuse prescription drugs, according to a 2009 federal survey. A majority of those drugs come from family or friends, some taken without permission from medicine cabinets.

Federal regulations are now being drafted to implement the Secure and Responsible Drug Disposal Act of 2010, allowing individuals and long-term care facilities to surrender prescriptions drugs to authorized entities. Until the rules are in place, the US Drug Enforcement Administration plans to partner with local agencies on additional take-back events.

“Prescription drugs that relieve pain have become the drug of choice to abuse, especially with young people,” said Gloucester County Prosecutor Sean F. Dalton. “Please take advantage of Saturday’s opportunity to make your homes and communities safer by placing unwanted medicines in responsible hands.”

“It is important that parents are aware of what is inside their medicine cabinets and to safely dispose of potentially dangerous prescription medicine,” said Gloucester County Freeholder-Director Robert M. Damminger. “Take a few minutes to drop off unused, unwanted or expired medicines to law enforcement officials in your town.”