*MEDIA UPDATE*
SNJ Today Nightly News coverage:
For Immediate Release
August 20, 2017
Media Contact
- Candice Carter
- The Southwest Council Inc.
- 856-494-4950
- candice@southwestcouncil.org
Those wishing to dispose of unused, unwanted, and expired medications in the Mullica Hill area now have a new disposal site at the Harrison Township Police Department. The Gloucester Regional Addictive Substances Prevention (GRASP) coalition awarded the department with an American Medicine Chest Challenge permanent prescription drop box as a partner in curbing prescription drug abuse. The box is located inside the Harrison Township Police Department at 199 Colson Ln, Mullica Hill, NJ. It will be available to the public during normal business hours or when a police officer is present at the station. For additional information, residents may contact the police department at (856) 478-6839 or visit http://harrisontwp.us/municipal-departments/police-department/ for additional information.
Left to right: Candice Carter (GRASP Coalition); Chief Thomas Mills (Harrison Township Police); Lieutenant Ronald Cundey (Harrison Township Police); Detective Adam McEvoy ((HarrisonTownship Police)
Harrison Township Police Chief Thomas Mills and Lieutenant Ronald Cundey joined forces with Candice Carter of the GRASP Coalition, to provide the prescription drop box to the Harrison Township community. When asked how the Drop Box would affect the Harrison Township community, Police Chief Mills stated, “This service will hopefully be a positive impact on our senior community, they will be able to get the unused, expired prescriptions out of their homes and by doing that it will prevent the possibility of other crimes being committed on their homes or with the pills ."
With the installation of this drop box, the department adds an additional resource to the fight against drug abuse and especially the opiate crisis. The department invites residents, businesses, and other partners in the community program to use the drop box to prevent dangerous medications from falling into the hands of children or people suffering from addiction.
Harrison Township Police Department and the GRASP coalition challenges families to take the Five-Step American Medicine Chest Challenge:
- Account - take inventory of your prescription and over-the counter medicine.
- Secure - your medicine chest and prescription drugs.
- Dispose - of your unused, unwanted, and expired medicine in your home or at an American Medicine Chest Challenge Disposal site.
- Take - your medicine(s) exactly as prescribed.
- Talk - to the children in your life about the dangers of prescription drug abuse.
Permanent drop boxes and the awareness campaigns surrounding them are an important part of reducing the abuse of prescription medication. When left around the house, unused or expired prescription medications are a public safety issue, leading to abuse, environmental harm and accidental poisoning. 2 in 5 teenagers believe prescription drugs are “much safer” than illegal drugs. Every day in the U.S. an estimated 2,500 youth take a prescription pain reliever for the purpose of getting high for the first time. The abuse of prescription painkillers is the leading cause of heroin abuse. Unused drugs that are flushed can also contaminate the water supply, thus proper disposal of prescription drugs does dual duty of saving lives and protecting the environment.
The prescription drop box was purchased by the GRASP coalition, a substance abuse prevention coalition. For more information about GRASP and how to get involved, please visit southwestcouncil.org/GRASP or call 856-494-4950.
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