You can help Ocean County, NJ address opiate epidemic by dropping off unused meds

🔵 Ocean County Prescription Take Back Day in New Jersey this week

🔵 It's an opportunity to get rid of old and unused prescription medications

🔵 DEA has collected massive amounts of prescription pills in recent years

It's such a huge event that everyone can take part in to do a small part in helping curb the opioid epidemic.

Now is the time to go through your medicine cabinet and drawers, wherever you keep your prescription medications and ask yourself do I really need this? do I still need this? have I found a safer alternative?

The U.S. DEA has put together the annual Prescription Drug Take Back Day, held twice a year since 2010, which local law enforcement agencies have adopted to help in the effort.

On Saturday April 22, you'll be able to drop off your expired, unused, and unwanted prescription medications.

In Ocean County, you can do so in front of the Ocean County Justice Complex on Hooper Avenue in downtown Toms River between 10:00 am and 2:00 pm, according to the Ocean County Prosecutor's Office.

This is just for tablets, capsules, patches, and other solid forms of prescription meds, and vaping devices without the lithium batteries still in them, according to Prosecutor Bradley Billhimer, and liquids, syringes, and illegal drugs will not be accepted.

There are other locations where you can drop off these medications as well.

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Prosecutor Billhimer says since the DEA and other law enforcement agencies started this initiative 15.2 million pounds of medication have been collected overall.

“Take Back Day is an effective tool in reducing the availability of unused medication and prescription drugs. I encourage all of our residents to take advantage of this opportunity to turn these items over to law enforcement,” Prosecutor Billhimer said in a written statement.