Avalon Police to Participate in “National Take Back” Initiative

AVALON – The Avalon Police Department will join many other departments throughout the State of New Jersey in the “National Prescription Drug Take Back Day” on Sat., Oct. 29. Avalon Police will hold the event between the hours of 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. at the Avalon Police Department, located at the Avalon Public Safety Building at 31st Street and Dune Drive in Avalon.
“We are very pleased to offer this opportunity to Avalon residents who want to properly dispose of unwanted or expired prescription medication”, said Avalon Police Chief David Dean. “Too often, prescription medication finds its way into the hands of individuals who abuse the medications. Avalon Police will be available to accept these prescription medications for proper disposal”.
The program is coordinated by the United States Department of Justice and the Drug Enforcement Administration. More than seven million Americans currently abuse prescription drugs, according to the 2009 Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s national survey on Drug Use and Health. Each day, approximately 2,500 teens use prescription drugs to get high for the first time according to the Partnership for a Drug Free America. Studies also show that a majority of the abused prescription drugs are obtained from family and friends.
There were two “drug take back” days in held during the previous 13 months in the United States. During those events, more than 4,000 local and state law enforcement agencies participated in the events, collecting more than 309 tons of pills.
Although the DEA program is run every six months, the Avalon Police Department accepts unwanted medications throughout the year, free of charge. This is done to prevent dangerous medications from getting into the wrong hands or into the ground water supply from improper disposal. Avalon Police ask that any liquid medications are tightly secured and any personal identifiers, such as your name and address, are removed from the containers.
If you have any questions, please call the Avalon Police Department at (609) 967-3411.