Police & DEA to Collect Unwanted Pills

The Drug Enforcement Administration and the Newtown Township Police Department will be giving locals another opportunity to rid their medicine cabinets of expired, unused and unwanted prescription drugs.

From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 29, residents can drop off their unwanted drugs at the parking lot of the , police said.

The event is part of the National Drug Take-Back Day. The event started several years ago and has grown every year since.

Over 552,000 pounds of prescription drugs were turned in to over 4,300 police agencies across the nation during last year’s event. Over the past few years, DEA and its partners took in over 1.5 million pounds of pills.

“This initiative addresses a vital public safety and public health issue. 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. 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,” according to a statement from Newtown police.

Police said they will continue to hold events like this in the future.

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