NJ Residents Turn in Nearly 15,000 Pounds of Expired, Unwanted Prescriptions

NEWARK — Carl J. Kotowski, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s New Jersey Division, announced that this past weekend’s National Prescription Take Back Day resulted in the collection and destruction of 14,875 pounds, or 7.4 tons, of expired, unused, and unwanted prescriptions throughout New Jersey. This was the tenth National Take Back Day sponsored by the DEA.
Throughout New Jersey on Sept. 26, 2015, 211 police departments participated in the collection of the expired, unused, and unwanted prescriptions at 215 collection sites throughout the state. Residents were able to come to the various drop-off locations to safely dispose of these potentially dangerous prescription drugs. The nine previous Take-Back events nationwide from 2010-2014 resulted in 4.8 million pounds or 2,400 tons of unwanted medication collected. New Jersey residents surrendered more than 140,000 pounds or 70 tons of medication during that time frame.
Special Agent in Charge Kotowski said, “New Jersey residents once again did their part to remove the expired, unused, or unwanted prescription medications from their homes. The first step in the prevention of abuse of these medications is removing access to them, and New Jersey residents did just that.” Every day approximately 120 people die from a drug overdose, about half from prescription opioids and heroin. Prescription opioid abuse in many instances will transition to heroin use and abuse.
On Sept. 28, members of the DEA’s New Jersey Division collected the turned in medications and had them incinerated.