Police to Collect Medicine

Livingston Police will participate tomorrow in "Operation Medicine Cabinet," the first statewide medicine disposal day whereby residents can dispose of any unused, unwanted and expired medicine.  

Medications can be dropped off at the Senior and Community Center on Hillside Avenue from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

"Operation Medicine Cabinet" is a law enforcement initiative intended to raise awareness about the dangers of old, unused prescription drugs.

According to a 2007 study by the National Study of Drug-Use and Health, 70 percent of people who abuse prescription pain relievers say they got them from friends or relatives.  The National Institute of Drug Abuse (NIDA) reports that upwards of 9 million people use prescription medication for non-medical uses.  

A 2007 Partnership for a Drug Free New Jersey (PDFNJ) Principals Survey found that half of the principals surveyed said that prescription drugs are abused more than twice that of ecstasy and cocaine by New Jersey Middle School students.

Hundreds of statewide local law enforcement organizations will take part in this program, the first of its kind in the nation. This effort is being led the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) New Jersey Division, the New Jersey Office of the Attorney General and the PDFNJ.

Livingston residents seeking information on the abuse of prescription and over-the-counter drugs can visit the website www.operationmedicinecabinetnj.com.