Popular supermarket joins NJ police for statewide Drug Take Back Day effort

🚓 National Prescription Drug Take Back Day returns on Oct. 25.

🏪 A popular supermarket joins police in NJ for safe medicine disposal

💊 The event is free, anonymous, and helps prevent drug misuse

National Medicine Drop Off Day, also known as the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) National Prescription Drug Take Back Day, is held twice a year in April and October.

The next event is Oct. 25. For four hours, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., unless otherwise noted, several law enforcement agencies across the state will offer a safe, convenient, and anonymous way for residents to dispose of unused or expired prescription and over-the-counter medications.

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Wegmans partners with New Jersey police for safe drug disposal events

This year, a popular supermarket in New Jersey is partnering with local law enforcement.

Wegmans in Hanover and Ocean Township plan to host two community prescription medication drop-off events on Saturday to give people the chance to get rid of potentially dangerous, expired, unused, and unwanted prescription drugs from their homes.

The service is free, with no questions asked.

Only pills and patches will be accepted at the two Wegmans drop-offs, located at 34 Sylvan Way and 1104 Route 35 South, and at participating police departments around the state. No liquids, needles, or sharps.

DEA urges residents to clean out medicine cabinets responsibly

After gathering medications from your home, black out any personal identifying information on the bottles with a marker for privacy, the DEA suggests. Be sure to take them to either the two Wegmans locations or any of the secured drop boxes in the headquarters of local police departments.

Throwing pills and pill bottles in the trash or flushing them down the toilet can contaminate water supplies. But at these take-back events, the collected drugs are safely destroyed.

Protecting kids, pets, and communities from accidental drug exposure

Clearing out old medications from cabinets in the home also reduces the risk of children and pets accidentally ingesting them.

A list of New Jersey police departments participating in the day can be found here.

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