Newtown Police Holding Drug Take Back Event Saturday

Newtown Township Police Department will hold a drug take back event this Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Newtown Township Administration Building, 100 Municipal Dr. The event is a partnership with the Drug Enforcement Administration. 

The event is an opportunity for residents to safely discard of expired, unused and unwanted prescription drugs. Bring your pills for disposal to the Newtown Township Administration Building at 100 Municipal Drive in Newtown.

Liquids or needles can not be accepted, only pills or patches. The service is free and anonymous, no questions asked.

Last October, Americans turned in 324 tons (more than 647,000 pounds) of prescription drugs at 4,114 sites operated by the DEA and its thousands of state and local law enforcement partners.  

When those results are combined with what was collected in its seven previous Take Back events, DEA and its partners have taken in over 3.4 million pounds—more than 1,700 tons—of pills. 

This initiative addresses a vital public safety and public health issue, according to information from police. "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, as are the number of accidental poisonings and overdoses due to these drugs," an announcement from police said.  

Studies show that a majority of abused prescription drugs are obtained from family and friends, including from the home medicine cabinet. In addition, Americans are now advised that their usual methods for disposing of unused medicines—flushing them down the toilet or throwing them in the trash—both pose potential safety and health hazards.