Chelmsford Participating in Drug Take Back Day Saturday

The Chelmsford Police Department is teaming up with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) to hold a free, anonymous Drug Take Back Day on Saturday, Sept. 26.

Individuals can bring their unwanted, unused and expired medications to the Chelmsford Police Department from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. on Sept. 26. The service is free and ”no questions asked.”

“Anyone who has unused prescriptions in their home should use this opportunity to dispose of them properly at the police station,” Chief James Spinney said. “Substance abuse has become an epidemic in our nation, and I encourage the members of our community to help stand up against this crisis by taking action.”

Only pills and patches will be accepted -- liquid, needles/sharps will not be accepted. In Chelmsford, you can register for needles/sharps disposal with the town’s board of health, Take Back Day.

During last September’s Take Back Day, Americans turned in 309 tons (more than 617,000 pounds) of prescription drugs at nearly 5,500 sites operated by the DEA and more than 4,000 of its state and local law enforcement partners. When those results are combined with what was collected in its eight previous Take Back events, DEA and its partners have taken in over 4.8 million pounds—more than 2,400 tons—of pills, according to a press release.

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.

For more information about the disposal of prescription drugs or about the September 26 Take Back Day event, go to the DEA Office of Diversion Control site or contact Chelmsford Police Department at 978-256-2521.