Mercer County Sheriff To Collect E-Cigarette Devices Oct. 26

The Mercer County Sheriff’s Office will host a National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day later this month. It will take place on Saturday, Oct. 26, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the parking lot across from the Mercer County Administration Building at 640 South Broad Street in Trenton.

The goal is to help local residents to rid their medicine cabinets of unused and easily abused opioid painkillers, in addition to any other unneeded prescription medications.

The sheriff's office will accept vape pens and other e-cigarette devices, only after all batteries have been removed. Syringes, sharp instruments, or liquid solutions will not be accepted.

“The fall season is a good time to gather up any unused or expired prescriptions from your medicine cabinet, especially opioid painkillers,” Mercer County Sheriff Jack Kemler said. “Addiction or accidental misuse can too easily happen right from your own medicine cabinet.”

There were a total of 70,237 drug-related overdose deaths in America in 2017, according to the Center for Disease Control. This includes 47,600 deaths that were linked to opioids.

National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day aims to provide a safe, convenient, and responsible method for disposing of unneeded and expired prescription pills. It caps Red Ribbon Week, which is dedicated to DEA Agent Enrique Camarena, who was murdered in 1985 as he was fighting against illegal drugs.

The program held each spring and fall is conducted by the Mercer County Sheriff’s Office with the assistance of the Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. For more information, call the Mercer County Sheriff’s Office at 609-989-6111.