Keeping Unused Prescription Meds Out Of The Wrong Hands Is The Goal Of 'Project Medicine Drop'

Spring cleaning isn't just about going through your closets for things to get rid of. Add throwing out unused prescription medications to your list.

Since the Ocean County Prosecutor's Office began its pill burning for its Project Medicine Drop program in October 2014, 22,380 pounds have been collected and burned to date.

“With the hint of spring in the air we hope it moves everyone while doing spring cleaning to also clean out medicine cabinets of unused prescription meds," Ocean County Prosecutor Joseph A. Coronato said. "There is no question that unused medications many times end up in the wrong hands and are used illegally. In the worst case scenarios these forgotten pain killing medications lead to addiction or teens becoming unwitting drug dealers”.

It certainly paid off on Wednesday, when the Prosecutor's Office broke the pill burn record by monitoring the safe disposal of 3, 280 pounds of unused prescription medications, said spokesman Al Della Fave.

October 3, 2014 2,220 lbs.

March 27, 2015 2,880 lbs.

July 17, 2015 2,520 lbs.

October 29, 2015 2,300 lbs.

December 2, 2015 1.040 lbs.

April 13, 2016 2,380 lbs.

July 20, 2016 2,960 lbs.

October 26, 2016 2,800 lbs

March 1, 2017 3,280 lbs

"Project Medicine Drop is the county-wide initiative to make disposal of unused medications an easy convenient priority for Ocean County residents. With just under half of the municipalities in Ocean County having easily accessible medication drop boxes at police department entrances there is no excuse not to clean out and drop off these potentially dangerous meds," Della Fave said.

Images: Ocean County Prosecutor's Office