Oceanport Police Want Your Old Drugs

You know those Percocets you have left over from your C-section or the muscle relaxants you never used when you hurt your back? Well, this month the Oceanport Police Department would like to take them off your hands and away from the hands of your kids. 

On April 28 Oceanport police will participate in the Drug Enforcement Administration's (DEA) National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day. The event will be from 10 a.m to 2 p.m. in the lobby at Oceanport Borough Hall at 222 Monmouth Blvd.

The program is anonymous and will help safe guard children by preventing medications from falling into the wrong hands. If medication is submitted in its original container, police recommend removing the prescription label and all personal information. Liquid products, such as cough medicine, should remain sealed in original containers with caps sealed to prevent leakage.

Americans that participated in the DEA's take back day in October of last year turned in more than 377,086 pounds (188.5 tons) of unwanted or expired medications for safe and proper disposal at the 5,327 take-back sites that were available in all 50 states and U.S. territories. When the results of the three prior Take-Back Days are combined, the DEA, and its state, local, and tribal law-enforcement and community partners have removed 995,185 pounds (498.5 tons) of medication from circulation in the past 13 months.

“The amount of prescription drugs turned in by the American public during the past three Take-Back Day events speaks volumes about the need to develop a convenient way to rid homes of unwanted or expired prescription drugs,” said DEA Administrator Michele M. Leonhart. “DEA remains hard at work to establish just such a drug disposal process, and will continue to offer take-back opportunities until the proper regulations are in place.”

“With the continued support and hard work of our more than 3,945 state, local, and tribal law enforcement and community partners, these three events have dramatically reduced the risk of prescription drug diversion and abuse, and increased awareness of this critical public health issue,” said Leonhart.