DEA ‘Take Back’ Coming to Ridgewood, Glen Rock

The Ridgewood and Glen Rock police departments will be participating on Saturday in a DEA program allowing residents to safely dispose of unwanted or unused prescription medications.

According to authorities, prescription pills left to degrade in home medicine cabinets are more susceptible to misuse, and the majority of prescription abusers obtain drugs from family or friends.

“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,” states a release from the two departments.

Saturday will be the seventh time in the last three years that the two police agencies have participated in the program. In April, roughly 371 tons of prescription drugs were turned in nationwide as part of the program, according to the DEA.

Residents may turn in unused prescriptions anonymously at the headquarters of either department on Saturday, Oct. 26 between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.