GTPD to participate in Operation Take Back NJ
Friday, September 26, 2014
On September 27, 2014 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. the Gloucester Township Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) will give the public another opportunity to prevent pill abuse and theft by ridding their homes of potentially dangerous expired, unused, and unwanted prescription drugs. The service is free and anonymous, no questions asked.
This initiative addresses a vital public safety and public health issue. Many Americans are not aware that medicines that languish in home cabinets are highly susceptible to diversion, misuse and abuse. Rates of prescription drug abuse in the United States are increasing at alarming rates, as are the number of accidental poisonings and overdoses due to these drugs. Studies show that a majority of abused prescription drugs are obtained from family and friends, including from the home medicine cabinet. In addition, many Americans do not know how to properly dispose of their unused medicine, often flushing them down the toilet or throwing them away – both potential safety and health hazards.
Operation Take Back New Jersey will afford Gloucester Township residents the opportunity to rid their homes of their unused, unwanted, and expired medicine. Residents may drop off their unused or expired medications for disposal at the Gloucester Township Seniors Center next to the Gloucester Township Municipal Building on Chews Landing Road on September 27, 2014 between 10 AM – 2 PM. Gloucester Township Police Officers will dispose of the controlled substances in a safe and non – hazardous manner, preventing these pills from falling into the hands of juveniles or into the illicit market in our communities.