Salem Police Department Hosting Drug Take Back Day

SALEM, NH —The Salem Police Department has announced details of the Fall Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) National Drug Take Back Day event later this month.

The event, co-hosted by the Parkland Medical Center and South NH Public Health Network, will take place from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Salem Police Department, located at 9 Veterans Memorial Parkway.

At the event, people can turn in all unused, unneeded and unwanted medications.

Salem police said that all medications must be removed from bottles and placed in a plastic bag (sandwich bag, gallon bag, etc.) before being deposited.

The Salem PD also said vape devices will be accepted, though batteries must be removed before the devices are dropped off.

No sharps or liquids will be accepted during the Take Back Day event, according to organizers.

During each National Take Back Day, the DEA encourages the public to remove unneeded medications from their homes as a measure of preventing medication misuse and opioid addiction from ever starting.

"The drug overdose epidemic in the United States is a clear and present public health, public safety, and national security threat," the DEA said in a statement. "DEA is committed to making our communities safer and healthier, and we can do this by reducing overdoses and overdose deaths."

On its website, the DEA offers resources to help with the disposal of unneeded medications in the home and for people seeking substance abuse treatment. There also is information about the drug overdose epidemic in the U.S.