Newark Police to Participate in the 26th National Take Back Initiative – Saturday April 27, 2024

On Saturday April 27th, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., the Newark Police Department and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) will provide the public the opportunity to prevent pill abuse and theft by ridding their homes of potentially dangerous expired, unused and unwanted prescription drugs. Controlled, non-controlled, and over-the-counter medications will be accepted.

Bring your medications for disposal to the Newark Police Department at 220 South Main Street in Newark.  The disposal site cannot accept liquids, needles or sharps – only pills or patches.  The service is free and anonymous – no questions asked.

This event is DEA’s 26th nationwide event since its inception more than 10 years ago.  Over 17 million pounds have been collected since the inception of the program in 2010.

During the most recent Take Back event in the fall of 2023, more than 4,000 pounds of unwanted medications were collected in Delaware.  Nationwide, almost 600,000 pounds were collected at over 4,600 collection sites around the United States. Nineteen other Delaware law enforcement agencies participated in the event, along with over 4,300 other law enforcement agencies nationwide.

This initiative addresses a vital public safety and public health issue. Medicines that languish in home cabinets are highly susceptible to diversion, misuse, and abuse. Rates of prescription drug abuse in the United States are alarmingly high, as are the number of accidental poisonings and overdoses due to these drugs.

According to the DEA:

• Unused or expired prescription medications are a public safety issue, leading to accidental poisoning, overdose, and abuse.
• Pharmaceutical drugs can be just as dangerous as street drugs when taken without a prescription or a doctor’s supervision.
• The non-medical use of prescription drugs ranks second only to marijuana as the most common form of drug abuse in America.
• The majority of teenagers abusing prescription drugs get them from family and friends —and the home medicine cabinet.
• Unused prescription drugs thrown in the trash can be retrieved and abused or illegally sold. Unused drugs that are flushed contaminate the water supply. Proper disposal of unused drugs saves lives and protects the environment.

Sharps and syringes will NOT be accepted due to the potential hazards posed by blood-borne pathogens.  Vape pens and other e-cigarette devices will only be accepted after the batteries have been removed.  Newark PD is not responsible for removing the batteries.

For further information, visit DEATakeBack.com.  The FDA also provides information on how to properly dispose of prescription drugs. More information is available here.