National Drug Take Back Day – October 26
Prevent Drug Thefts, Abuse and Overdoses
Sheriff Frank Provenzano announces the next federal Drug Enforcement Agency’s National Prescription Drug Take Back Day will be held Saturday, Oct. 26, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at over 5,000 sites around the country. The service is free of charge, no questions asked. National Take Back Day is a safe, convenient and responsible way to dispose of unused or expired prescription drugs.
Now, for the first time, the DEA also will accept vaping devices and cartridges at any of its drop off locations during Take Back Day. It is important to note that the DEA cannot accept devices containing lithium ion batteries. If batteries cannot be removed prior to the drop-off, the DEA encourages individuals to consult with stores that recycle lithium ion batteries. The April 2019 Take Back Day brought in 937,443 pounds (468.72 tons) of unused or expired prescription medication. This brings the total amount of prescription drugs collected since the fall of 2010 to 11,816,393 pounds. For more information, visit the DEA’s website at https://www.dea.gov
Residents wishing to dispose of medications year-round can do so by dropping them off at the Sheriff’s Office medicine collection drop box, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The drop box is located in the lower level of the Somerset County Administration Building at 20 Grove St. in Somerville, near the entrance to the Sheriff’s Office.
Addictive prescription drugs that are thrown away or left untended on shelves and in drawers at home are often stolen and either abused or sold by family members and visitors. That’s why the DEA and thousands of its state, local and tribal law enforcement and community partners are holding another Prescription Drug Take Back Day.
America is experiencing an epidemic of addiction, overdose and death due to abuse of prescription drugs, particularly opioid painkillers. About 6.4 million Americans age 12 and over—2.4 percent of the population—abuse prescription drugs, according to the 2015 National Survey on Drug Use and Health released last fall. This is more than the number of people who abuse cocaine, heroin, hallucinogens and methamphetamine combined. Drug overdoses are now the leading cause of injury-related death in the United States, eclipsing deaths from motor vehicle crashes or firearms. The majority of prescription drug abusers report that they obtain their drugs from friends and family, including from the home medicine cabinet.
“For our community’s safety, I look forward to continued efforts in safety and education for our residents to achieve victory against drug abuse,” said Sheriff Provenzano.
In Somerset County:
For the convenience of residents, additional drop boxes are located at participating municipalities. Following are municipal medicine drop-box locations that are part of the program:
• Bernards Township Police Department, 1 Collyer Lane, Basking Ridge, NJ 07920, 908-766-1122 (7 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. After hours, use the phone in the station house)
• Bound Brook Police Department lobby, 226 Hamilton St., Bound Brook, NJ 08805, 732-356-0800
• Branchburg Police Department, 590 Old York Road at Route 202 North, Branchburg, NJ 08876, 908-526-3830
• Franklin Township Police Department, 495 DeMott Lane, Somerset, NJ 08873, 732-873-5533
• Hillsborough Township Police Department, 379 S. Branch Rd., Hillsborough NJ 08844, 908-369-4323
• North Plainfield Police Department, 263 Somerset St., North Plainfield, NJ 07060, 908-769-2937
• Warren Township Police Department, 44 Mountain Blvd., and Warren, NJ 07059, 908-753-1146
• Raritan Borough Police Department, 20 1st St, Raritan, NJ 08869, 908-725-6700
Please note that liquids and syringes are not accepted at these locations.
For more information regarding medicine collection in Somerset County, contact Sheriff’s Officer Dave Daneker at 908-231-7140, or Captain Steve SanAntonio at 908-231-7168.