Stoneham Police Plan Drug Takeback Day

STONEHAM, MA — Police in Stoneham will give community members a chance to drop off unused or expired prescription medications later this month at a planned drug takeback day.

The event is set for Saturday, Oct. 29 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Stoneham Police Department at 47 Central St. in Stoneham.

Stoneham police are running their drug take back day in partnership with the federal Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and its National Prescription Drug Takeback Day initiative.

Community members can bring any unused or expired prescription medicines to the Stoneham Police for proper disposal.

“Too often, unused prescription drugs find their way into the wrong hands,” the DEA says on its website. “That's dangerous and often tragic."

The DEA has touted its programs as safe and anonymous ways to keep drugs off the street.

The DEA's Drug Takeback Day generally runs twice-per year. Stoneham's event this month is one of dozens planned throughout Massachusetts. The DEA's most recent Drug Takeback Day in April collected roughly 360 tons of prescription medications through 5,144 collection sites across the United States, according to the DEA's website.

The program has gathered a total of close to 8,000 tons of prescription drugs over 22 takeback days to date.