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North Plainfield Police Department

Press Release

Chief William Parenti

April 2, 2012

Chief William G. Parenti announced that the North Plainfield Police are partnering with Drug Enforcement Agency “DEA” in Operation Medicine Cabinet.  This exciting initiative is being conducted April 9, 2012 between 10am – 2pm at Police Headquarters.  The program will help to limit access to young people prescription medicines that are being abused at alarming rates.  In fact, according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration's National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 70% of all people who abuse prescription drugs say they get them from friends and relatives.

All residents are urged to look through their medicine cabinets.  If they are like most there will be many expired, half-empty or otherwise unused medications.  These medications are dangerous, because people will try to take them for something other than what it were prescribed for or worse their children or their children’s friends will take them or try to sell them Chief Parenti Said. 

Every day 2,500 youth age 12 to 17 abuse a pain reliever for the very first time.  In fact more teens abuse prescription drugs than any illicit drug except marijuana.  In 2006, more than 2.1 million teens ages 12 to 17 reported abusing prescription drugs.  Among 12- and 13-year-olds, prescription drugs are the drug of choice.  Because these drugs are so readily available, and many teens believe they are a safe way to get high, teens who wouldn't otherwise touch illicit drugs might abuse prescription drugs. 

We must do all we can to protect our children and our environment, Many people feel flushing old medications down the toilet is an effective way to dispose of them.  According to an Associated Press investigation the drinking water of nearly 41 million Americans contains a disturbing array of pharmaceutical drugs, including antibiotics, anti-convulsants, mood stabilizers and sex hormones, thus flushing meds is not the best choice said Chief Parenti. 

The North Plainfield Police will accept all medications.  The police will not take the name of the person turning the drug in or ask how someone came upon a medication.  These program has two main goals, first to combat prescription drug abuse by removing unused drugs from medicine cabinets and second to stop the drugs from entering our water supply, stated Chief Parenti.