Drug Takeback Event a Huge Success, Local Officials Say

Morris County law enforcement officials announced Monday that last Saturday's Operation Take-Back, a community drug drop-off event, was a big success.

Locally, the effort took place at the Stop and Shop on Littleton Road in Morris Plains, where Police Chief Scott Thompson and other officers were on hand to provide residents with a place to take unused, expired and unwanted over-the-counter and prescription medications so that they could be disposed of safely.
The effort garnered a combined total of 229 pounds of medications from the Stop and Shop and locations in Randolph and Mountain Lakes.

Operation Take-Back is a national initiative that encourages individuals to turn in unused or expired prescriptions, controlled substances and over-the-counter medications . The collection allows citizens to give their unused medications to law enforcement officials without releasing personal information. The medications are disposed of in an environmentally safe manner.

In addition to helping individuals dispose of unused prescription drugs, Operation Take-Back promotes awareness of juvenile prescription drug prevention efforts.

“This operation serves to remove potentially harmful prescription drugs from possible abuse," Acting Prosecutor Knapp explained. "Such drugs, unfortunately, have served as a gateway to heroin and other opiates. By removing them from residences, we hope to impede the addiction cycle.”

Operation Take-Back is a collaborative effort between the New Jersey Office of the Attorney General, the state Drug Enforcement Administration division, New Jersey Prevention Network, New Jersey Chiefs’ of Police Association, Morris Plains Police Department, Randolph Police Department, Stop and Shop Supermarket, Mountain Lakes Police Department and the county prosecutor’s office.