Community Corner

Drug Take Back Events This Saturday

Montgomery Township and Lansdale Borough police departments are sponsoring the events, which look to rid homes of expired, unused and unwanted prescription drugs

Raid your medicine cabinets now for old and unwanted prescription drugs that can be dangerous if misused in preparation for two events on Saturday.

Awareness and prevention of prescription pill abuse occurs this Saturday in Montgomery Township and Lansdale Borough with two prescription drug take back events, where citizens can dispose of unwanted, unused and expired prescription drugs.

Montgomery Township Police, along with the Drug Enforcement Agency, will hold its drug take back event from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Giant Food Store, 1201 Knapp Road.

Find out what's happening in Montgomeryville-Lansdalewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Lansdale Borough Police will hold its event from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 1 Vine St., Lansdale.

The take backs are free and anonymous.

Find out what's happening in Montgomeryville-Lansdalewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

According to Montgomery Township Deputy Chief Scott Bendig, more than 552,161 pounds, or about 276 tons, of unused, expired and unwanted prescription drugs at more than 5,600 sites operated by the DEA and 4,300 sites operated by state and municipal law enforcement agencies.

Over the past four drug take back events, more than 1.5 million pounds of pills were disposed of.

According to Bendig in a press release, prescription medicines that languish in homes are highly susceptibe to diversion, misuse and abuse.

Studies show that a majority of abused prescription drugs are obtained from family and friends, including from the home medicine cabinet, according to the press release.

Flushing pills down the toilet or throwing them in the rash also pose safety and health hazards.

In 2010, Congress passed the Secure and Responsible Drug Disposal Act. This act amended the controlled substances law to allow users of medications to dispose of them through Attorney General-authorized entities.

The Attorney General can now authorize long-term care facilities to dispose of controlled substances in certain instances.

Bendig said the DEA is drafting regulations to implement the act.

"Until new regulations are in place," wrote Bendig, "local law enforcement agencies like The Montgomery Township police Department and the DEA will continue to hold prescription drug take-back events every few months."


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