Get Rid Of Prescription Medicine At Ocean Prosecutor's Drug Take Back Event

TOMS RIVER, NJ — If you have medications in your home that you no longer need, the Ocean County Prosecutor's Office will be collecting them Saturday as part of National Prescription Drug Take Back Day.

The collection event aims to get unneeded prescription medication out of medicine cabinets and homes to keep it out of the hands of those who may misuse or abuse them, and is led by the federal Drug Enforcement Administration.

People who have tablets, capsules, patches, and other solid forms of prescription drugs that are expired or just not needed can drop them off Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in front of the Ocean County Justice Complex, 120 Hooper Ave. in Toms River.

Collection sites will not accept syringes, sharps, and illicit drugs. Liquid products, such as cough syrup, should remain sealed in their original container. The cap must be tightly sealed to prevent leakage.

Vaping devices will be accepted provided that the lithium batteries have been removed.

The collection is anonymous — people dropping off medication can remove prescription labels from containers.

"Take Back Day is an effective tool in reducing the availability of unused medication and prescription drugs. I encourage all of our residents to take advantage of this opportunity to turn these items over to law enforcement," Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer said.

For more than a decade, the event has helped Americans easily rid their homes of unneeded medications — those that are old, unwanted, or expired — that too often become a gateway to addiction.

In partnership with local law enforcement, Take Back Day has removed 19.2 million pounds (9,600 tons) of medication from circulation since its inception.

For more information and to find a collection site near you, visit www.DEATakeBack.com.