BLOOMFIELD, NJ -- The
Bloomfield Police Department is encouraging residents to drop off prescription
drugs at police headquarters on Saturday as part of National Take Back Day. A
bin is located inside 1 Municipal Plaza where residents can anonymously discard
prescription pills that have expired or are no longer needed to combat
addiction.
“As we all know, the opioid and
prescription drug abuse epidemic affects communities everywhere, and
encouraging residents to properly dispose of potentially addictive pain
prescription pills greatly reduces the risks of the person receiving the
prescription, or a friend or family member, falling prey to addiction. All prescription
pills deposited in the secure box in Bloomfield Police Headquarters will be
safely destroyed,” said Mayor Michael Venezia. “I would like to thank
our Police, Health and Human Services, and partnering departments who are
working to help residents protect themselves and their families from this
epidemic.”
“These Take Back Days truly work
and around the country, we have seen people get rid of prescription pills that
may otherwise have been abused by themselves or their family members,” said
Director of Public Safety Samuel DeMaio. “Substance abuse prevention is a
top priority year-round for the Bloomfield Police Department. Our headquarters
has a drug take back dispenser in the main lobby which is open 365 days a year
for residents to discard their pills, no questions asked.”
The Substance Abuse and Mental
Health Services Administration’s National Survey on Drug Use and Health shows
year after year that the majority of misused and abused prescription drugs are
obtained from family and friends, including someone else’s medication being
stolen from the home medicine cabinet. The DEA’s National Take Back initiative
began in September, 2010. The Nationwide Drug Take-Back Day occurs twice a
year, once in April and once in October. At last April’s National Take Back
Day, Bloomfield residents deposited over 70 pounds of prescription pills in
these disposal bins, before they were taken to the Newark branch of the Drug
Enforcement Administration (DEA) to be destroyed. Since its inception, more
than 9 million pounds of pills have been collected during Take Back events.
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