County residents can drop off unwanted or outdated prescription drugs Saturday, Oct. 24, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., rain or shine, at the South County Public Works Garage, located at 410 Roycefield Road, Hillsborough.
Medications should be dropped off in their original packages or bottles with personal information such as name and address removed. The name of the medication should be visible. Illegal drugs, needles or sharps should not be brought.
“Leftover medicines pose serious safety and health threats and also raise environmental concerns when flushed down the drain or toilet because they can contaminate bodies of water, harm wildlife and end up in drinking-water supplies,” said Sheriff Frank J. Provenzano.
“Prescription-drug abuse is the fastest-growing drug problem in the United States. Among youth, 7 of the top 10 abused substances are pharmaceuticals,” he said.
Drop boxes are located in some municipalities, including the Hillsborough Township Police Department, 379 S. Branch Road.
For information regarding medicine collection, contact Lt. Steve SanAntonio at 908-231-7168 or Sheriff’s Officer Thomas Wallace at 908-231-7138.
The Rx Mission Drive-in/Drop-Off is a medicine-collection program sponsored by the Somerset County Sheriff’s Office, the Somerset County Solid Waste Management Division and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. The program is held in conjunction with all scheduled Somerset County household hazardous waste drop-off events.
A total of 91 pounds of medicines were properly disposed of at the September drop-off event.
