Police Collect 127 Pounds of Drugs for Disposal

The Cedar Grove and Verona Police Departments collected a combined total of 127 pounds of unwanted or expired medicine, part of Operation Take Back New Jersey Day, organized by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).

Each department had officers on hand to collect and discard medicine with no questions asked on Saturday, April 27 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at their respective municipal buildings.

“Rates of prescription drug abuse in the U.S. are alarmingly high, as are the number of accidental poisonings and overdoses due to these drugs,” Verona police said. “Studies show that a majority of abused prescription drugs are obtained from family and friends, including from the home medicine cabinet.”

During the last collection, held in October 2012, the departments collectively disposed of nearly 200 pounds of medicine.

“41 citizens utilized the program and 65 pounds. of pharmaceuticals were collected for destruction,” said Cedar Grove Chief of Police Richard Vanderstreet.

In Verona, police collected 62 pounds of medicine for disposal.

“Its important to clear out your medicine cabinets for several reasons,” said Verona Police Capt. Mitchell Stern. “It is important to cut down the illegal use of prescription medication, but it is just as important to stop people from taken the wrong medication by accident.”

For example, he said, it can be dangerous in certain situations such as if someone were to come home with a splitting headache and reach into the medicine cabinet for an aspirin, but instead pick up the wrong bottle or expired medicine.

“Another important reason for the collection is to ensure that the medicine is disposed of properly instead of dumping it into the toilet or garbage can,” said Stern.

After being collected by the Police Departments, turned over to the Federal Drug Enforcement Agency for safe destruction, police said.