DEA Announces 10th National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day

Sussex County, NJ – DEA Acting Administrator, Chuck Rosenberg, announced that the 10th National Prescription Drug Take-Back will take place September 26th from 10 am-2 pm local time in every state but Pennsylvania and Delaware, where the event will take place on September 12. As with the previous nine Take-Back events, sites will be set up throughout communities nationwide so local residents can return their unwanted, unneeded, or expired prescription drugs for safe disposal.

Becky Carlson, Executive Director of The Center for Prevention and Counseling in Newton said that, “We are fortunate and appreciative to have the DEA, The Sussex County Prosecutor’s Office as well as state and local police departments and municipalities cooperating in this effort to reduce prescription drug abuse. When community members do their part in keeping unwanted drugs out of their homes, placing them in safe disposal site receptacles, we reduce the chance of people using these substances illegally. We hope the word is getting out there that this is the smartest and safest way to help keep our communities safe.”  Permanent collection sites in Sussex County are located in Andover, Augusta, Hardyston, Hopatcong, Newton, Sparta and Vernon where these police departments have receptacles for dropping off unwanted drugs, 24/7 in their lobby. In addition to these permanent sites, on Saturday, September 26, there will also be Rx drop offs set up in Byram at Waterloo Village with the cooperation of the Byram Police Department as well as in Hamburg with the Hamburg Police Department. More information on this initiative can be found at www.centerforprevention.org

Every community in the nation that is participating can be found by going to www.dea.gov. This site will be continuously updated with new take-back locations. The National Prescription Drug Take-Back addresses a vital public safety and public health issue. Many Americans are not aware that medicines that languish in home cabinets are highly susceptible to diversion, misuse, and abuse. Prescription drug abuse in the U.S. is at an alarming rate, as are the number of accidental poisonings and overdoses due to these drugs. Studies show that many abused prescription drugs are obtained from family and friends, including from 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.

In the previous nine Take-Back events nationwide from 2010-2014, 4,823,251 pounds, or 2,411 tons of drugs were collected. In Sussex County, in the last three years, over 3,000 pounds of unwanted drugs have been collected.

For more information or to receive a flyer to post with this information for your business, agency, organization or town, call The Center at (973)383-4787 or go towww.centerforprevention.org

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