Full Notification

On Saturday, April 28, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. the Montclair Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration will give the public its 15th opportunity to prevent pill abuse and theft by ridding their homes of potentially dangerous expired, unused, and unwanted prescription drugs. Bring your pills for disposal to the Montclair Police Department at 4870 Arrow Hwy. (The DEA cannot accept liquids or needles or sharps, only pills or patches.) The service is free and anonymous, no questions asked.

Last October Americans turned in 456 tons (912,000 pounds) of prescription drugs at almost 5,300 sites operated by the DEA and more than 4,200 of its state and local law enforcement partners.

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.

For more information about the disposal of prescription drugs or about the April 28 Take Back Day event, go to the DEA Diversion website: https://takebackday.dea.gov/