Contact: Beth Stone- (508) 584-8120
Safely dispose of your unwanted pills in med return boxes at police stations around Plymouth County
BROCKTON – Plymouth County District Attorney Timothy J. Cruz is reminding residents to safely recycle their expired and unwanted medications at drop boxes in police stations around the county as part of Plymouth County’s Prescription Drug Take Back Program.
“With the opioid drug problem at epidemic levels, as individuals, we must take every step to we can to keep illegal drugs off of our streets and out of our communities,” DA Cruz said. “Taking a few minutes to clean out your medicine cabinet could mean eliminating the risk of drug theft or abuse from your home.”
Saturday, April 30th is National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day, a day sponsored by the U.S. Justice Department Drug Enforcement Administration and organized to encourage citizens to properly dispose of unused, unwanted and expired medications. In 2013, DA Cruz and Plymouth County Sheriff Joseph McDonald announced the local Plymouth County Drug Take Back Program. Partnered with Covanta Energy’s Rx4Safety Program, the boxes were placed in police stations around Plymouth County. Residents are asked to dispose of their unwanted or expired medications into boxes located inside participating police departments, which are under 24-hour surveillance. Police inventory and log the contents of the disposal box and the drugs are transported to Covanta Energy’s incinerator in Plymouth where they are destroyed and turned into renewable energy. The energy from these waste facilities provide safe, environmentally sound destruction that protects water supplies from disposing of medications down drains.
Drug return boxes are currently located at all police stations in Plymouth County except for Kingston and Plympton Police Departments. Residents in those towns are encouraged to bring medicines to police stations in their area. All drops are completely anonymous.
Medications accepted are pills, capsules, patches, prescription medications and ointments and medicines in leak-proof, unbreakable containers. Over-the-counter medications, vitamins and pets medicines are also accepted. No needles will be accepted.
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