Morris Prosecutor: Morris County Residents Responds to Drug Take-Back Day
Published on May 02, 2017
COUNTY RESIDENTS DISPOSED OF 724 POUNDS OF UNUSED OR UNWANTED MEDICATIONS
(JPG, 94KB) Prescription drugs collected at Morris Plains location
Some came with overflowing bags; others with one prescription bottle. But no matter the quantity, Morris County residents last Saturday turned in 724 pounds of unused and unwanted medications during Prescription Drug Take-Back Day, a nationwide initiative to safely dispose of unneeded medication.
A total of 372 pounds was turned in at three locations run by the Morris County Prosecutor's Office under the direction of Prosecutor Fredric M. Knapp in Morris Township, Morris Plains and Randolph.
Some 166 pounds of drugs was turned in at the Morris Plains location, 148 pounds in Randolph and 58 in Morris Township. Drugs turned in at other county locations run by municipal police departments brought the overall Morris County total to 724 pounds.
(JPEG, 229KB) (l/r) Randolph Police Officer Bret Sommer, Prosecutor's Detective Kaitlin Lobman, Morris county Prosecutor Fredric M. Knapp, and Prosecutor's Supervising Detective Mark Castellano
National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day was initiated by the Drug Enforcement Administration of the U.S. Justice Department to offer the public a convenient and safe way to dispose of unneeded drugs and to raise awareness of the opioid epidemic.
The program enabled individuals to anonymously and confidentially turn in expired prescriptions and over-the-counter medications into secure drop boxes. The method is a safe, convenient and responsible way to dispose of drugs.
Once collected, the medication is safely incinerated by the DEA. Another take-back day will be held in the fall.
The initiative not only gave people a chance to clean out their medicine cabinets, it got unneeded drugs out of circulation and lessened the risk of addiction.
Prosecutor Knapp said, This program has proven to be an effective method for the appropriate discarding of unused and unwanted medications. Curbing the abuse of medications not only benefits individuals, but benefits society as a whole.
"We appreciate the efforts of the prosecutor and his staff and local police departments to organize this effective program,'' said Morris County Freeholder Tom Mastrangelo, the county governing board's liaison on law and public safety issues. "Getting these drugs out of circulation means there is less chance of them falling into the wrong hands.''
Knapp and Morris County Prosecutor's Office Chief of Investigations John R. Speirs would like to thank Morris County Sheriff James Gannon, Morris Plains Police Chief Jason A. Kohn, Morris Township Police Chief John McGuinness and Randolph Police Chief David Stokoe for their departments' participation in this program.
Those who were unable to make last Saturday's event can log on to http://safehealthymorris.org/dropbox/ for a list of permanent drop box locations nearest them.
For more information, contact Public Information Officer Fred Snowflack at pressinquiry@co.morris.nj.us or at (973) 829-8159.