Drug Take Back day in Rochester, Milton, set for Sat.

National Prescription Drug Take Back Day returns to the Northern Seacoast on Saturday with police departments in Rochester and Milton allowing the public to bring in their old, unused prescription medications for safe disposal at no cost.

The times when you can bring in those unwanted meds is from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m..

In Rochester, Bridging the Gaps, Rochester's Substance Misuse Coalition, will give the public its 14th opportunity in seven years to prevent pill abuse and theft by ridding their homes of potentially dangerous expired, unused, and unwanted prescription drugs.

Folks in Rochester can bring their pills for disposal to the Rochester Police Department at 23 Wakefield St. This year's event is set up as a Drive-Through/Drop Off to save participants time.

In Milton the dropoff point is inside the department's station on Townhouse Road.

Folks need not be a resident to return unwanted prescription drugs.

The DEA, which helps sponsor the event, cannot accept liquids or needles or sharps, only pills or patches.

The service is free and anonymous, no questions asked.
Last April Americans turned in 450 tons of prescription drugs at almost 5,500 sites operated by the DEA and more than 4,200 of its state and local law enforcement partners.

Of that, Rochester collected 12 boxes and 313.5 pounds of prescription drugs. Overall, in its 13 previous Take Back events, DEA and its partners have taken in more than 4,050 tons of pills.
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 U.S. are alarmingly high, as are the number of accidental poisonings and overdoses due to these drugs. Studies show that a majority of abused prescription drugs are obtained from family and friends, including from the home medicine cabinet.

In addition, Americans are now advised that their usual methods for disposing of unused medicines - flushing them down the toilet or throwing them in the trash - both pose potential safety and health hazards.
For more information go to https://www.facebook.com/BridgingtheGapsNH/.