Sheriff Brown Announces Prescription Drop Box

Sheriff Brown Offers Location For Prescription Drug Disposal

On Main Street In Flemington

Joining the effort to stop the abuse of prescription drugs, Hunterdon County Sheriff Fred W. Brown has placed a prescription drop box near the Sheriff’s office on the first-floor level of 71 Main Street in Flemington, with the aim of providing a convenient location for the public to bring any unused and/or expired medications to protect the environment and avoid the potential for abuse.

Sheriff Fred W. Brown said, “According to U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency study, a majority of prescription drugs are obtained from medicine cabinets in the home. Children are at risk through the availability in their own homes.”

“Removing that potential hazard is our number one priority. Safe disposal of prescription drugs is part of our continued effort to maintain quality of life here in Hunterdon County and we’ve made a big impact through our drop-box program.”

Last year, Hunterdon County collected more than 1,200 lbs. of prescriptions with 15 drop box locations, some of which are permanent and available year-round. Since 2011, more than 4.25 tons, or 8,056 lbs. of prescription drugs have been collected.

Freeholder Board Director Suzanne Lagay said, “Encouraging the public to discard medications properly is one of the easiest ways to curtail the potential for abuse of prescription drugs. We often hear about how addiction began with pills being leftover in medicine cabinets – this program reduces those opportunities.”

Freeholder Director Lagay continued, “Another issue is that discarding of medications into the environment has been found to contaminate local water sources and wildlife. We are grateful to Sheriff Brown for making this drop box available in a place that is convenient to many county residents.”

Locations for all drop boxes can be found here: www.njconsumeraffairs.gov/meddrop/Pages/Locations.aspx#Hunterdon or by calling Sheriff Brown at 908-788-4816.