For the past seven years Abington Township Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration have been holding Drug Take Back events for all residents to dispose of any expired, unused, and unwanted prescription drugs. They will once again be hosting this event to prevent pill abuse and theft by disposing of these potentially dangerous prescriptions on Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m, at the Abington Police Department located at 1166 Old York Road.

The drug abuse rates of prescription drugs in the U.S. are alarmingly high, as are the number of accidental poisonings and overdoses due to these drugs.  The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s National Survey on Drug Use and Health shows year after year that the majority of misused and abused prescription drugs are obtained from family and friends, including someone else’s medication being stolen from the home medicine cabinet.

Last fall, 456 tons or 912 pounds of prescription drugs were collected from Americans by the DEA and state and local law enforcement departments.