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West Trenton, N.J. – Project Medicine Drop box is a program to allow easy, secure, and anonymous disposal of unwanted drugs at numerous locations throughout the State. Five of those locations are at State Police Barracks.

Two in five teenagers mistakenly believe prescription drugs are "much safer" than illegal drugs. In a growing trend, Ó£»¨ÊÓƵ teens who abused prescription drugs went on to become addicted, and turned to heroin use. Project Medicine Drop box is crucial in making sure Ó£»¨ÊÓƵ residents take an active role against the nationwide epidemic of prescription drug abuse.

Scientists have expressed concerns about the effects of medications being released into the water supplies after having been flushed down the toilet or sink, and the U.S. Geological Survey has found traces of pharmaceuticals in streams in 30 states. Simply placing drugs in the trash creates the potential that they will be found by those seeking to sell or abuse them.

In partnership endorsed by the State Department of Environmental Protection, Morristown-based Covanta Energy, a nationwide operator of energy-from-waste and renewable energy facilities, has agreed to destroy the medications at no cost to taxpayers.

Project Medicine Drop boxes are, metal containers resembling mailboxes. The drop boxes enable consumers to dispose of unused and expired medications safely and securely, seven days a week, 365 days a year.

For safety reasons, the Project Medicine Drop boxes can only accept solid medications such as pills, patches, inhalers, and similar objects. The boxes cannot accept liquids, medical waste, or syringes. Consumers wishing to dispose of these objects should speak with their doctors or pharmacists to find the safest and best ways to dispose of them. It should also be noted that consumers may only dispose of legal prescription or over-the-counter medications. Anyone wishing to dispose of any illicit drug, should follow the normal procedure of reporting it to the police.

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