Bucks County Announces Results Of Drug Take Back Event

BUCKS COUNTY, PA — The collection total for Saturday’s Drug Take Back Day was announced by the Bucks County Drug & Alcohol Commission.

The total was 9,810 pounds, bringing Bucks County to a total of 162,507 pounds since 2010, when collection began in the county. Officials also collected 450 pounds of sharp objects such as needles and syringes at three county sites in Bensalem, Hilltown and Warwick. The county also distributed more than 200 Narcan kits to local residents.

Established by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency in 2010, the annual event was launched in an effort to prevent prescription drugs that could otherwise be abused by family members, guests, children and teens. Studies show that a majority of abused prescription drugs are obtained from family and friends, including from the home medicine cabinet, according to the DEA.

Opioid deaths have increased during the pandemic. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a health alert in December showing a sharp increase in overdose deaths from May 2019 through May 2020.

It's also important to safely dispose of your medications. When you flush pills down the toilet, they can end up in the water supply, and medicines thrown in the trash can still contaminative the environment.

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