Hopewell Township announced last week that it has joined the New Jersey Attorney General’s “Project Medicine Drop” initiative by installing a permanent Project Medicine Drop dropbox at the Hopewell Township police headquarters.
Hopewell Valley has been benefiting from regular prescription drop-off events but this permanent dropbox will permit residents of Hopewell Valley to get rid of unwanted or expired prescription medications at their convenience.
“Project Medicine Drop will prove to be a beneficial addition to the services that we provide in Hopewell Valley. By having a convenient means of disposing of unused medications we will be improving the quality of life for our residents”, Chief of Police Lance Maloney said.
Members of the public are invited to visit the Project Medicine Drop sites and drop off any unused prescription medications anonymously and with no questions asked.
“Residents regularly ask me what to do with their old prescription drugs. These medications were often prescribed to them after a surgery or an illness, but it’s not something they need anymore. Sometimes these medications have been sitting around their house for a while and they don’t know where to take them. It’s so great to be able to let people know they can take it to the police station 24 hours a day”, Senior Services Coordinator Abigail Meletti said.
Project Medicine Drop is a component of the New Jersey Attorney General’s effort to stop the diversion and abuse of prescription drugs, including highly addictive opiate painkillers. The hope is to make it easier and more convenient for Hopewell Valley residents to take an active role in the fight against the nationwide epidemic of opiate and heroin abuse, which often is fueled by the initial abuse of prescription painkillers.
The department’s new Project Medicine Drop Box is located at police headquarters, 201 Washington Crossing Pennington Road Titusville, NJ. Residents may visit the Hopewell Police Department at any time, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year, to dispose of their unused or excess medications.
This initiative also protects New Jersey’s environment by keeping these drugs out of landfills and out of the water supply. More information about Project Medicine Drop, including the full list of Project Medicine Drop locations, can be found at www.NJConsumerAffairs.gov/meddrop.
