Local communities gear up for 21st Drug Take Back Day

14 local communities taking part in Drug Take Back Day Saturday

Local communities ready to take part in National Prescription Drug Take Back Day 

NORTHAMPTON –  More than two dozen communities in Hampshire and Franklin counties are gearing up to participate in the National Prescription Drug Take Back Day set for Saturday Oct. 23.

The Northwestern District Attorney’s Office teams up with the Hampshire and Franklin Sheriff’s offices, the county-based TRIAD initiatives, local police departments and the national Drug Enforcement Agency to host the event, which invites residents to drop off unneeded drugs – for humans or pets – to keep them out of water supplies and importantly, to ensure they are not misused or pose a threat to be misused or accidentally ingested.

Take Back events are scheduled from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at these police departments: Easthampton, Pelham, South Hadley, Deerfield, Greenfield, Leverett, Montague and Sunderland as well as at the following locations: Amherst, Wildwood Elementary; Hadley, Hopkins Academy; Belchertown, Town Common; Northampton, Smith Vocational High School; Williamsburg, Williams Hardware; Worthington, Highway Department.

This is the 21st National Prescription Drug collection initiated by the Northwestern District Attorney’s Office in collaboration with community partners.

 “We believe it is important for our local communities to participate in these DEA-hosted Drug Take Back events because new opioid prescriptions are made every day to treat people with pain and other illnesses. That makes it an urgent matter to spread the word that prescriptions should always remain locked and no-longer-needed prescriptions disposed of safely,” said Northwestern District Attorney David Sullivan. “We don’t want any prescriptions to place toddlers, adolescents, or pets at risk. It is a community responsibility to prevent misuse or accidental ingestion.”

Since 2011, thought the twice-year Take Back Days and the permanent drug collection boxes stationed at most area police departments, the Northwestern District Attorney’s territory has safely disposed of more than 62,000 pounds of unneeded prescription and non-prescription drugs, keeping it out of water sources, landfills and preventing misuse.

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