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Crime & Safety

Fair Haven, Nearby Residents Turn Over Prescription Drugs to Police

They trickled in, with bottles of unused prescription drugs, and handed them over to the Fair Haven Police Department for proper and safe disposal.

Fair Haven residents and others from nearby towns did their part to help dispose of their prescription drugs safely on Saturday, April 30 at the hosted locally by the Fair Haven Police Department (FHPD). People came with Ziplock bags of prescription drugs in hand and placed them in a collection box.

FHPD Detective Jesse Dykstra was on hand at the Fair Haven Youth Center on Saturday to collect the drugs from participants. In all, approximately 16 people showed up to dispose of their unused and expired prescription drugs.

And while the number of people who showed up may not seem like many, the amount each person brought it was a sizeable amount. Indeed, the prescription bottles filled an entire collection box, according to Dykstra, and he was happy with the turnout.

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 “I’m thrilled and excited,” Dykstra said, adding that, “I didn’t think we would fill one box,” Dykstra said. Halfway through the event, the box sat at two-thirds full. But, after a few more people came, by the end of the four-hour initiative, the box was filled. The amount collected was enough for Dykstra to consider the day a success.

The FHPD’s site was one of over 5,000 sites nationwide that took part in the Drug Enforcement Administration’s drug collection initiative. The program’s aim is to keep prescription drugs from falling into the wrong hands, including those of juveniles, and dispose of the prescription drugs safely.

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One Fair Haven resident, Joseph Tukis, came with his bag of unused prescription drugs. Tukis said that the prescriptions in his medicine cabinet keep piling up. After reading about the event in the newspaper, he decided to come and bring his unused medicine to be disposed of properly. When asked if he attended the FHPD’s initiative last year, he said that this year was his first time. “It’s a good idea, instead of flushing them down the bowl,” Tukis said.

Dykstra indicated that next year the FHPD will again take part in the DEA’s program. He said that the police chief didn’t hesitate this year to sign up, and wanted “the department enrolled as soon as possible for participation,” said Dykstra.

Resident Tukis said that he would come every year if the police department hosted the program.

Those prescription drugs collected by the FHPD will be added to the amount collected nationwide. Consider the numbers of prescriptions sitting in medicine cabinets across the country: In New Jersey alone, 14,436 pounds of prescription drugs were collected last year, according to the DEA. Nationwide, last year’s initiative yielded 242,000 pounds, or 121 tons, of prescription drugs, according to the DEA.

After Saturday’s collection, Dykstra said the prescriptions will be “handled as evidence and secured away.” Then, early this week, they will be turned over to the DEA, which will safely dispose of them.

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