Milford To Participate In National Drug Take Back Day On Saturday

MILFORD, NH — The Milford Police Department will join cities and towns throughout New Hampshire on Saturday participating in National Drug Take Back Day. Milford Police will accept expired, unused and unwanted prescription drugs from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the police station at 19 Garden Street.

The service is free and anonymous with no questions asked. This will be the 18th opportunity in the last nine years for residents to utilize the public drop-off day.

This year departments in several NH cities and towns — including Nashua — will also accept unwanted vaping an e-cigarette devices.

This past spring Americans turned in nearly 469 tons (more than 937,000 pounds) of prescription drugs at more than 6,300 sites operated by the DEA and almost 5,000 of its state and local law enforcement partners. Overall, in its 17 previous Take Back events, DEA and its partners have taken in more than 11.8 million pounds—approximately 5,900 tons—of pills.

Unused medicines in home cabinets are highly susceptible to misuse, abuse or falling into the hands of children. Rates of prescription drug abuse in the country are alarmingly high, as are the rates of accidental poisonings and overdoses. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration's National Survey on Drug Use and Health shows year after year that the majority of misused and abused prescription drugs are obtained from family and friends, including someone else’s medication being stolen 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 Oct. 26 Take Back Day event, go to www.DEATakeBack.com.