Police Department's Drug Take Back Event nets nine boxes of returned medication

posted on: 9/29/2015

On Sept. 26, 2015, the Dover Police Department, along with police departments all across the country, took part in the US Drug Enforcement Administration’s Prescription Drug Take Back Event. During the four-hour event, dozens of members of the public brought their unused and unneeded medication to the front parking lot of the police department.

The event began at 10 a.m. and by 10:30 a.m., three boxes were already full. Many of the people who came to the event said that they were happy to have a way to safely remove medication from their homes. By the end of the event, the public turned in a total of nine boxes full of medication that are no longer in people’s homes.

The Dover Police Department wishes to thank everyone who came out on Saturday to safely dispose of their medications. Medicines that languish in homes are highly susceptible to diversion, misuse, and abuse. 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.

Most heroin users start with prescription drug abuse and then turn to heroin because it is cheaper and easier to get. Working to prevent prescription drug abuse is one a step toward preventing heroin use.

For those unable to attend a collection event during the national take back day, visit the Food and Drug Administration website at www.FDA.gov to learn about other recommended disposal methods.

To learn more about helping locally, contact the Dover Coalition for Youth at 603-516-3279 or online at www.DoverCoalition.org.