Credit: Erich Martin/NewtownPANow.com
More than 50 locations throughout Bucks County were open Saturday morning and early afternoon for residents to bring by and drop off old and unused prescriptions.
A spokesperson from the Bucks County District Attorney’s Office said Tuesday that 10,125 pounds of drugs were collected Saturday during the event. The latest collection marks a 230 pound increase over the previous event in April.
The drug take-back program makes sure that instead of ending up in water or in the hands of people who shouldn’t have them, the drugs are incinerated.
“You know, it is keeping the drugs out of the water and away from our kids,” said Jill Shurtleff, a coordinator at the Council Rock Coalition for Healthy Youth. Shurtleff was manning the table in Newtown Borough with a police officer on Saturday.
After only a half hour, the station collected two bins of drugs. Throughout the day, Shurtleff said that she hopes the station could collect between 50 and 75 pounds,
“I think that people feel really good about participating,” Shurtleff said.
At St. Mary’s Medical Center in Middletown, longtime workers and a township police officer manned the collection tables.
Another member of the Council Rock Coalition for Healthy Youth, Joycle McGlynn explained that the take-back days are probably a success because not everyone knows about the 24-hour drop boxes that exist for old drugs throughout the county.
Collection stations were also set up in Newtown Township and Upper Makefield.
Since the first collection event in September 2010, 98,663 pounds have been gathered in Bucks County.
In addition to the bi-annual events, many police stations and some pharmacies offer collection drop stations throughout the year.
Credit: Erich Martin/NewtownPANow.com
