Northville Township Police Offer Safe Disposal of Prescription Drugs

If your spring cleaning includes getting rid of old prescription medications, police are offering an avenue to dispose of them safely.

From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, the township police department will join thousands of police departments around the country who will be helping its residents toss out old and potentially harmful pharmaceuticals. Last year, the first year for the event, 121 tons of pills were collected nationwide, according to a township press release.

The DEA website reports that "more than seven million Americans currently abuse prescription drugs, according to the 2009 Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration’s National Survey on Drug Use and Health...studies show that a majority of abused prescription drugs are obtained from family and friends, including the home medicine cabinet."

In an effort to curb those numbers, the township police department has partnered with the Drug Enforcement Administration to host The National Take-Back Initiative, said Public Safety Director John Werth.

Residents can drop off their old pharmaceuticals at the Northville Township Police Headquarters, at 41600 Six Mile Rd.

"The value is to our residents, to dispose of unused medications," Werth said. To see "that it doesn’t get in the wrong hands. Some people don’t feel comfortable throwing out in the normal trash."