Raritan NJ
3-17-2022 8:10pm

RX DRIVE-THRU MEDICINE DROP-OFF SATURDAY MARCH 19 IN BASKING RIDGE

SOMERVILLE, NJ – Take advantage of the next Rx Mission Drive-in/Drop-Off event and safely dispose of unwanted or outdated prescription drugs and over-the-counter medication. The free event will be held, rain or shine, on Saturday, March 19, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., at the Bernards Township Public Works Garage, located at 277 South Maple Avenue, Basking Ridge, New Jersey 07920. Medication should be in the original packaging with the name of the medication visible, and all personal information should be removed. Illegal drugs, needles and sharps should NOT be brought to the drop-off .

"The purpose of this free program is to help protect the environment by getting rid of dangerous pharmaceuticals such as unwanted, unused and outdated medicine," said Somerset County Sheriff Darrin Russo. “Through the support of our residents, for over 10 years, our county has been safer because of the drop-off program.

"Leftover medicine poses a serious threat when it’s flushed down the toilet or disposed of in the drain, because it can harm wildlife, contaminate bodies of water and end up in our drinking-water," he said.

According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, most people take prescription medication responsibly. However, in 2017 an estimated 18 million people (more than 6 percent of those 12-years of age and older) have misused medication at least once in the past year. The 2017 National Survey on Drug Use and Health shows an estimated 2 million Americans have misused prescription pain relievers for the first time between 2016 and 2017, which averages to approximately 5,480 first-time drug misuse per day.

Furthermore, the USDEA reports that prescription drugs, including opioids and antidepressants, are responsible for more overdose deaths than street drugs such as cocaine, heroin and methamphetamines. Many teenagers mistakenly believe prescription drugs are "much safer" than illegal drugs and prescription painkillers are not addictive.

24-Hour RX Drop-Box
Residents can drop off their medication at the Somerset County Sheriff's Office medicine-collection drop-box, 24-hours a day, 7-days a week, no questions asked. The DROP-BOX is located on the lower level of the Somerset County Administration Building at 20 Grove St., in Somerville, near the entrance to the Sheriff's Office.

Drop-Box Locations in Somerset County
For the convenience of residents, participating municipalities have additional drop-box sites at the following locations: Bernards Township Police Department, 1 Collyer Lane, Basking Ridge, NJ 07920, 908-766-1122 (7 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. After hours, use the phone in the station house); Bound Brook Police Department lobby, 226 Hamilton St., Bound Brook, NJ 08805, 732-356-0800; Branchburg Police Department, 590 Old York Road at Route 202 North, Branchburg, NJ 08876, 908-526-3830; Franklin Township Police Department, 495 DeMott Lane, Somerset, NJ 08873, 732-873-5533; Hillsborough Township Police Department, 379 S. Branch Rd., Hillsborough NJ 08844, 908-369-4323; North Plainfield Police Department, 263 Somerset St., North Plainfield, NJ 07060, 908-769-2937; Warren Township Police Department, 44 Mountain Blvd., Warren, NJ 07059, 908-753-1146; Raritan Borough Police Department, 20 1st St, Raritan, NJ 08869, 908-725-6700. Please note: Liquids and syringes are not accepted at these locations.

For more information about medicine collection in Somerset County, contact Sgt. Joe Bialiy at 908-231-7197.

The Rx Mission Drive-in/Drop-Off is a medicine-collection program sponsored by the Somerset County Sheriff's Office, Somerset County Solid Waste Management and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (USDEA). The program is held in conjunction with all Somerset County Household Hazardous Waste drop-off events.

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