By: Lindsey Kelleher

Local residents doing their fall cleaning had an opportunity to get rid of their unused and expired prescription medicine.

They brought any prescription pills, tablets and other expired meds to the Cedar Grove Police Department on National Prescription Drug Take Back Day. Epinephrine autoinjectors were also accepted.

“Don’t dump prescription medications down the toilet,” said Cedar Grove Township Manager Tom Tucci during a recent Township Council meeting. “A program like this is the proper way to dispose of them.”

The Cedar Grove Police Department participated in National Prescription Drug Take Back Day as a way to encourage residents to properly get rid of their unused, unwanted, and expired medications properly.

“Most individuals are not aware of methods to properly dispose of their unused medicine, often flushing them down the toilet or throwing them away; both potential safety and health hazards,” the Cedar Grove Police Department stated on its website, https://www.cedargrovepd.org/.

The initiative took place on Oct. 23 and was held through the national Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).

The DEA started the drug take back program to provide a way for people to dispose of their medicine. The drug take back program is also designed to educate people about drug abuse.