Crime & Safety

Dispose Of Unused, Unwanted, Expired Medications In Cranford

The Cranford Police Department will once again be hosting an "Operation Take Back" local collection site on April 29.

CRANFORD, NJ — The Cranford Police Department will once again be hosting an “Operation Take Back” local collection site.

This semi-annual Statewide Event is a collaborative initiative headed by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) New Jersey, New Jersey Office of the Attorney General, the NY/NJ HIDTA, and a majority of local New Jersey Police Departments.

This event will take place on Saturday, April 29 between 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The collection location will be at the Cranford Municipal Building located at 8 Springfield Avenue, Ground Level just outside the Juvenile Bureau.

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The initiative, open to all residents, was organized in an effort to allow for a safe environmentally friendly way to properly dispose of unused, unwanted, or expired medications. A Police Officer will be on hand to accept medications (both prescription and over the counter) for disposal. No identification is required to participate in this event, and disposal is completely anonymous and voluntary.

As part of the event, participants are reminded of the following:

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  • Ensure that liquid products (Cough Medicines) remain in the original tightly sealed container
  • Remove the Prescription Label from the bottle, to ensure personal information is protected
  • Syringes and Sharps will NOT be accepted

According to the Drug Enforcement Administration, since September 2010; cumulatively, these events have collected 5,525,021 pounds of prescription narcotics. During the April 2016 event, New Jersey Law Enforcement Agencies collected 17,785 pounds of medications.

Any residents requiring additional information can contact Detective Sergeant Ryan J. Greco of the Cranford Police Department Investigative Division at 908-709- 7339 or r-greco@cranfordnj.org.

(Image via Shutterstock)

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