November 1, 2012
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Departments » District Attorney » National Take Back Day  
Events to Collect Expired Medications

On Saturday, April 30, 2011, Lehigh County residents turned in almost 1,008 pounds of drugs during the Second National Take-Back Day Initiative that gave the public an opportunity to dispose of expired, unwanted and unused prescription medications and over-the-counter drugs in a safe and convenient way.

During the first national event on Sept. 25, 2010, Lehigh County residents disposed of almost 193 pounds of drugs.

At 16 sites in Lehigh County, police officers collected pills and capsules, including pain-killers, appetite suppressants, anxiety-relievers, vitamins and pet medications. 

In 2010 in Pennsylvania, almost 3 tons of medications were picked up by the National Guard and taken to an incinerator in Ohio where they were burned. During the May 2011 event, the total for Pennsylvania and Delaware was 24,651 pounds of drugs. There were more than 400 sites in the two states.

About 3,000 state and local law enforcement agencies throughout the nation participated in 2010 and collected more than 121 tons of pills and capsules.

During a third event in October 2011, the total of unused and expired medications that was collected in Lehigh County was almost 245 pounds.  Throughout the nation, members of the public turned in more than 377,086 pounds of medications at 5,327 sites in the 50 states and U.S. territories.

During the three collections in 2010 and 2011, a total of 1,446 pounds of drugs were collected in Lehigh County alone.

The next event will be held on April 28, 2012, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at police departments and other locations throughout Lehigh County.

The local initiatives have been coordinated by the Lehigh County District Attorney's Office, police departments, the Allentown Health Bureau, the U.S. Department of Justice Drug Enforcement Administration, the Pennsylvania Medical Society and DrugFree Pennsylvania.

The DEA collected all the medications from the various sites and took them to an incinerator to be burned.
 
"I was very pleased with the turnouts and the response from the public," said Lehigh County District Attorney James B. Martin. "Police officers reported that people of all ages were grateful for the chance to dispose of medications that they had accumulated and wanted to dispose of safely.  It was encouraging to know that the public is aware of the dangers of keeping unused medications in homes, where they are accessible to children, invite abuse and can lead to future addictions."

  
 
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