Sheriff Provenzano Announces 2015 Medicine Drop Events

Somerset County Sheriff Frank J. Provenzano invites county residents to start collecting unwanted or outdated prescription drugs and over-the-counter medications for proper and safe disposal in 2015 using the Rx Mission Drive-in/Drop-Off program.

The Rx Mission program is a medicine-collection opportunity sponsored by the Somerset County Sheriff’s Office, the Somerset County Solid Waste Management Division and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.  The program is held in conjunction with all scheduled Somerset County Household Hazardous Waste drop-off events, rain or shine.  Drop-offs are open to residents throughout the county.

Household Hazardous Waste events in 2015 will be held March 21 in Basking Ridge, April 18 in Warren, June 20 in Somerset, Sept. 12 in Branchburg and Oct. 24 in Hillsborough.

“Leftover medicines pose serious safety and health threats and raise environmental concerns. Prescription-drug abuse is the fastest-growing drug problem in the United States. Among youth, seven of the top 10 abused substances are pharmaceuticals,” said Sheriff Frank J. Provenzano. “Medicine flushed down the drain or toilet can contaminate bodies of water, harm wildlife and end up in drinking-water supplies.

“County residents have been very supportive of the drop-off programs in Somerset County, and our community is safer because of their efforts,” said Sheriff Provenzano.

Residents who cannot make the scheduled RX Mission drop-offs or just want to get rid of medications around the home on a regular basis can take advantage of the Somerset County Sheriff’s Office medicine collection drop box, 24-hours a day, 7-days a week, no questions asked. The drop box is located on the lower level of the Somerset County Administration Building at 20 Grove St. in Somerville, near the entrance to the Sheriff’s Office.

For the convenience of residents, additional drop boxes are located at several participating municipalities.  Following are municipal 24/7 medicine drop-box locations that are part of the program: Bernards Township Police Department, 1 Collyer Lane, Basking Ridge, NJ 07920-(908) 766-1122; Branchburg Police Department, 590 Old York Road at Route 202 North, Branchburg, NJ 08876-(908) 526-3830; Franklin Township Police Department, 495 Demott Lane, Somerset, NJ 08873-(732) 873-5533; Hillsborough Township Police Department, 379 S. Branch Rd., Hillsborough NJ 08844-(908) 369-4323; and North Plainfield Police Department, 263 Somerset St., North Plainfield, NJ 07060-(908) 769-2937.

For more information regarding medicine collection in Somerset County, contact Lt. Steve SanAntonio at (908) 231-7168 or Sheriff’s Officer Thomas Wallace at (908) 231-7138 or go to http://bit.ly/MedicineDrop

Also, residents can receive notifications via text message, email and the Web by registering at www.nixle.com.  Nixle is simple to use and free; however, standard text-message rates may apply. Residents are advised to check with their cellular carrier.