BRATTLEBORO — Vermont law enforcement agencies, set up at 57 locations statewide, collected a record amount of residents' unused or unwanted prescription medications for a successful Drug Take Back Day Oct. 26.
According to Vermont State Police in a press release, officers accepted nearly 3,500 pounds of pills - up from the 2,393 pounds collected at the year's first take-back, in April - and properly disposed of them, all in an effort to combat the problem of abuse or misuse of prescription medication.
Officials said many Vermonters have prescription drugs in their homes but have forgotten about them or no longer need them, leading to the risk of misuse, theft, and abuse.
The public is encouraged to inventory their medicine cabinets or other locations where medicines are kept, and properly dispose of those that are not being used.
Officials added that pills should not be flushed or thrown away, but rather brought to an approved location for proper disposal, which officers call diverting.
A number of law enforcement agencies - including the Brattleboro and Bellows Falls police departments and the Windham County Sheriff's Department headquarters in Newfane - offer year-round drug disposal options.