Swampscott Police Accepting Unused Liquid Medications In April

SWAMPSCOTT, MA — Swampscott police will add liquid medications to those accepted this month in the weeks leading up to the Drug Enforcement Administration's 20th Nationwide Prescription Drug Take-Back Day on April 24.

The Swampscott Police Department is a year-round take-back site for solid pharmaceutical products for both humans and pets, but this month will also accept liquid medications, such as cough syrup, in tightly sealed containers.

Intravenous solutions, injectables and syringes will not be accepted due to potential blood-borne pathogen hazards.

Unused medications can fall into the wrong hands, raising the potential for those underaged and not prescribed them to ingest or sell the drugs.

It is not recommended that unused medications be thrown away or flushed down the toilet out of the risk they will get into groundwater supplies.

"We do not want your old medicine to fall into the wrong hands," Swampscott police said.

According to the 2020 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 9.7 million people misused prescription pain relievers, 4.9 million people misused prescription stimulants, and 5.9 million people misused prescription tranquilizers or sedatives in 2019.

The survey also showed that most misused prescription drugs were obtained from family and friends, often from the home medicine cabinet.

Residents with leftover prescriptions can bring them to the police station on Humphrey Street.

Go here to find out more about nationwide drug take-back day.

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(Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at Scott.Souza@Patch.com. Twitter: @Scott_Souza.)