Crime & Safety

Drop Off Unwanted Prescription Medicine At Saddle Brook Police Dept. Saturday

Pills and patches may be dropped off as part of Operation Take Back, a nationwide initiative designed to prevent substance abuse.

SADDLE BROOK, N.J. — The borough police department is taking back unwanted prescription drugs Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. as part of Operation Take Back, a national initiative sponsored by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.

Unwanted prescription pills and patches may be brought to the Saddle Brook Police Department at 63 Market St.

RELATED: Medicine Drop Box Installed At Wyckoff Police HQ

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Liquids, needles, and sharps will not be accepted.

Last April, Americans turned in nearly 900,000 pounds of prescription drugs at almost 5,400 sites operated by the DEA and more than 4,200 of its state and local law enforcement partners. Overall, in its 11 previous Take Back events, DEA and its partners have taken in over 6.4 million pounds — about 3,200 tons — of pills.

Find out what's happening in Fair Lawn-Saddle Brookfor free with the latest updates from Patch.

Medicines that languish in home cabinets are highly susceptible to misuse and abuse, authorities said. Rates of prescription drug abuse in the United States 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.

For more information about the disposal of prescription drugs or the Take Back event Saturday, click here.


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