Chief Richard D. Howe
20 Westford Road
Tyngsborough, MA 01879
For Immediate Release
Monday, Oct. 16, 2017
Media Contact: John Guilfoil
Phone: 617-993-0003
Email: john@jgpr.net
Contact: Chief Richard D. Howe
Email: rhowe@tyngsboroughma.gov
Tyngsborough Police to Participate in National Drug Take Back Day
TYNGSBOROUGH — Chief Richard Howe is pleased to announce that the Tyngsborough Police Department will participate in National Prescription Drug Take Back Day later this month.
On Saturday, Oct. 28, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., officers will be on-hand at the Tyngsborough Police Department (20 Westford Road) to collect unwanted prescription drugs from any resident wishing to dispose of their old, unwanted, or unneeded prescriptions. The event is completely free of charge for all.
“We are very proud to support this event, which brings together thousands of law enforcement agencies for the purpose of removing unneeded and unused prescriptions from homes to ensure that they never end up in the wrong hands,” Chief Howe said. “I encourage everyone to stop by and make this our best collection event yet.”
The Drug Take Back Day is a semi-annual event that is administered by the Drug Enforcement Administration. During the last event, on Saturday, April 29, the event brought in 900,386 pounds (450 tons) at close to 5,500 sites across the nation.
The National Prescription Drug Take Back Day Initiative addresses a crucial public safety and public health issue. According to the 2015 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 6.4 million Americans abused controlled prescription drugs. The study shows that a majority of abused prescription drugs were obtained from family and friends, often from the home medicine cabinet. The DEA’s Take Back Day events provide an opportunity for Americans to prevent drug addiction and overdose deaths.
“Too often, unused prescription drugs find their way into the wrong hands. That’s dangerous and often tragic,” said Acting DEA Administrator Robert W. Patterson. “That’s why it was great to see thousands of folks from across the country clean out their medicine cabinets and turn in – safely and anonymously – a record amount of prescription drugs.”
The department will accept pills and patches, but cannot take liquids, needles or sharps. To arrange for the disposal of those items, contact the Tyngsborough Health Department at 978-649-2300.
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