Crime & Safety

Take Back Day Snares Nearly 1,008 Pounds Of Drugs

Law enforcement officials collected expired, unwanted and unused prescription and over-the-counter medications April 30.

The Lehigh County District Attorney's Office said in a Monday release that approximately 1,008 pounds of prescription medications were collected county-wide during the April 30 .

The D.A.'s office said the second annual initiative gave the public an opportunity to safely dispose of expired, unwanted and unused prescription and over-the-counter medications.

The medications, collected at 16 sites, were turned over to the Drug Enforcement Administration. The drugs were slated to be burned.

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“We are grateful to Lehigh County residents for their support of this important initiative to safely dispose of medications and to keep them out of the wrong hands,” said Lehigh County District Attorney James Martin in the release. “Police reported that members of the public turned in bags and boxes filled with medications, some dating to the 1970s.

The Lehigh County collections were coordinated by the District Attorney’s Office, the Allentown Health Bureau, police departments, state police, the Pennsylvania Medical Society, DrugFree Pennsylvania and the U.S. Department of Justice Drug Enforcement Administration.

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The following are the totals collected from each Lehigh County site, according to the release:

  • 5.2 pounds, Alburtis Police Department
  • 115 pounds, Berks-Lehigh Regional Police Department
  • 36.7 pounds, Bethlehem Police Department W. Broad Street Substation
  • 9.2 pounds, Catasauqua Police Department
  • 68.7 pounds, Emmaus Police Department
  • 3.5 pounds, Fountain Hill Police Department
  • 42.9 pounds, Coopersburg Police Department at the Giant supermarket on Route 309
  • 14 pounds, Lower Milford Township Police Department
  • 46.5 pounds,
  • 14 pounds, Pennsylvania State Police Troop M, Bethlehem
  • 28 pounds, Salisbury Township Police Department
  • 12 pounds, Slatington Police Department
  • 44.5 pounds, South Whitehall Township Police Department
  • 23 pounds, Upper Saucon Township Police Department
  • 502.1 pounds, Allentown Police Department at Wegmans supermarket on Tilghman Street
  • 42.6 pounds, Whitehall Township Police Department


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