Holmdel Police Hosting "Operation Take Back" on Saturday

The Holmdel Township Police Department will be hosting an “Operation Take Back New Jersey” local collection site as part of the Operation Take Back New Jersey medicine disposal day. The event will take place at the Holmdel Town Hall on Saturday, September 27, 2014 between the hours of 10:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m.

The following “Operation Take Back New Jersey” drop off information is provided by the Holmdel Township Police Department:

• A drop off box will be set up at Town Hall and a member of the Police Department will be present at all times.

• This collection is anonymous, and you do not need to show any identification.

• Medication can be disposed of either in its original container or by removing it from its container and disposing directly into the drug disposal box. If you are going to dispose of your medication in its original container, we encourage you to remove the prescription label if it contains any personal identifying information.

• Liquid products, such as cough medicine, should remain sealed in their original container. The depositor should ensure that the cap is tightly sealed to prevent leakage.

• Syringes and other sharp instruments will not be accepted.

For further information or details, please contact Sergeant Robert Philhower at 732-946-4400 or rphilhower@holmdelpolice.org.

The National Prescription Drug Take Back day offers a safe, convenient, and responsible means of disposing of prescription drugs, while also educating the general public about the potential for abuse of medications. Prescription drug abuse is the nation’s fastest growing drug problem; for that reason, keeping medications out of the wrong hands will help to keep our families stronger and our communities safer.

In the eight prior Operation Take Back programs, 4.1 million pounds of unused, unwanted, and expired medications have been collected across the United States with approximately 118,147 pounds being collected in the state of New Jersey.

This initiative addresses a vital public safety and public health issue. Medicines that languish in home cabinets 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. Studies show that a majority of abused prescription drugs are obtained from family and friends, including from the home medicine cabinet. In addition, Americans are now advised that their usual methods for disposing of unused medicines—flushing them down the toilet or throwing them in the trash—both pose potential safety and health hazards.

DEA is in the process of approving new regulations that implement the Safe and Responsible Drug Disposal Act of 2010, which amends the Controlled Substances Act to allow an “ultimate user” (that is, a patient or their family member or pet owner) of controlled substance medications to dispose of them by delivering them to entities authorized by the Attorney General to accept them. The Act also allows the Attorney General to authorize long term care facilities to dispose of their residents’ controlled substances in certain instances.

The public is invited to continue the progress that has been made in prior years by dropping off the above mentioned medicine at their local police department. If you would like further information, visit www.operationtakebacknj.com/monmouth.html