Fall Drug Take Back Day in the county on Oct. 26

ESSEX COUNTY, NJ — Essex County will hold a Fall Drug Take Back Day on Saturday, Oct. 26. Twenty-one police departments in Essex County have free and anonymous collection sites where residents can drop off old and unwanted prescription medications. The event is co-sponsored by the Essex County Division of Community Health, the Federal Drug Enforcement Administration, the Alcohol and Drug Abuse Prevention Team, the Essex County Police Chiefs’ Association and the Essex County Crime Prevention Officers Association.

“Some of the most dangerous substances in your home are the unused prescription and over-the-counter medication in your bathroom closet. Youth may sneak pills and use them out of curiosity, but there is a real danger that this could lead to more severe drug abuse,” Essex County Executive Joseph DiVincenzo Jr. said. “Ridding your homes of unused prescription medication and dangerous drugs is a simple and important safety measure we can all take. Using the collections sites ensures your unwanted pills are not used improperly and will be destroyed in an environmentally friendly manner. We encourage the public to join us on Drug Take Back Day.”

“Prescription drug abuse and misuse is an epidemic, and we are pleased that Essex County is a leader in opioid abuse prevention. Drug Take Back Day and the year-round collection boxes have proven to be effective, with over 4,000 pounds of pills collected last year,” ADAPT Coalition manager Joel Torres said.

ADAPT, the Essex County Division of Community Health and the DEA formed partnerships with 21 municipal police departments to serve as collection sites. Although officials urge the public to participate in Drug Take Back Day on Oct. 26, the permanent collection sites are open year-round so unwanted medications can be safely discarded at the public’s convenience.

The permanent collection locations are the police departments in the following towns: Belleville, 152 Washington Ave.; Bloomfield, 1 Municipal Plaza; Caldwell, 1 Provost Square; East Orange, 15 South Munn Ave.; Fairfield, 230 Fairfield Road; Glen Ridge, 3 Herman St.; Irvington, 1 Civic Square; Livingston, 333 S. Livingston Ave.; Millburn, 435 Essex St.; Montclair, 647 Bloomfield Ave.; Newark, 480 Clinton Ave.; North Caldwell, 136 Gould Ave.; Nutley, 228 Chestnut St.; Orange, 29 Park St.; Roseland, 15 Harrison Ave.; South Orange, 201 South Orange Ave.; Verona, 600 Bloomfield Ave.; and West Orange, 60 Main St.

The temporary collection locations, which will be open Oct. 26 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., are in the following towns’ police departments: Cedar Grove, 525 Pompton Ave.; Maplewood, 1618 Springfield Ave.; and West Caldwell, 21 Clinton Road.

Residents can dispose of their unused prescription drug medication by placing it in the marked collection sites. Dropping off medication is anonymous and safe. Residents should remove any identifying information from the medication containers, such as their name, address, telephone number and doctor’s name. Medications that are collected are brought to a licensed facility where they are safely disposed.

For additional information, call 973-323-3907.

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