Police Will Accept Unwanted Prescription Drugs Saturday

Westwood and Washington Township residents will be able to bring unwanted prescription drugs to their local police departments Saturday for proper disposal as part of National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day.

Both departments will be collecting the unwanted medication Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The effort is to reduce the amount of prescription drugs in homes where they could fall into the wrong hands. According to the 2009 Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration’s National Survey on Drug Use and Health, more than seven million Americans abuse prescription drugs. The Partnership for a Drug Free America says 2,500 teenagers use prescription drugs each day to get high for the first time.

The event Saturday is the second of its kind. The first National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day occurred Sept. 25, 2010. Officials said that event was successful, with Americans turning in 121 tons of pills to more than 4,100 sites. The initiative is through the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) with the help and cooperation of state and local law enforcement. According to the DEA, more than 5,100 sites will be available for the event Saturday.

"The overwhelming public response to DEA's first nationwide Take-Back event last fall not only rid homes of potentially harmful prescription drugs, but was an unprecedented opportunity to educate everyone about the growing prescription drug abuse problem," said DEA Administrator Michele Leonhart. "Studies have shown that, for many, prescription drugs are the very first drugs they abuse—and all too often they aren't the last. That is why we are committed to helping Americans keep their homes safe by ridding their medicine cabinets of expired, unused and unwanted drugs."

Westwood residents can bring their unwanted prescription drugs to the in the borough's , 101 Washington Ave.

Township residents can drop off their unwanted medication in the lobby of the , located next to the municipal complex at 350 Hudson Ave.