Mayor Robert Kubert announced that the Bayonne Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) will participate in Take-Back Day. This event will allow the public to rid their homes of potentially dangerous, expired, unused, and unwanted prescription drugs. Take-Back Day will be held on Saturday, April 25, from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Residents are encouraged to bring their medications for disposal to the front lobby of City Hall, 630 Avenue C, between 27th and 28th Streets. The service is free and anonymous. Residents are encouraged to remove their names from medication bottles. Law enforcement recommends removing prescription labels that contain any personal identifying information.
The DEA cannot accept liquids, needles, or sharps. Only pills and patches will be accepted.
Mayor Kubert said, “I urge Bayonne residents to take part in Take-Back Day if they have unneeded prescription drugs at home. Your participation will help make Bayonne a safer and healthier community.” According to the DEA, medicines that languish in home cabinets are highly susceptible to diversion, misuse, and abuse. Rates of prescription abuse in the U.S. are alarmingly high, as are the number of accidental poisonings and overdoses due to these drugs. Studies show that a majority of abused prescription drugs are obtained from family and friends, including from home medicine cabinets.
Public health agencies advise that some methods for disposing of unused medicines, such as flushing them down the toilet or throwing them in the trash, pose health and safety hazards.
On Saturday, April 25, from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., drop-off parking in Bayonne for Take-Back Day will be available in front of City Hall on Avenue C, between 27th and 28th Streets.
