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   event and safely dispose of unwanted or outdated prescription drugs and over - the - counter medication .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 occur rain or shine on Saturday ,
   April 23 ,
   from
    9 a . m .
   to
    2 p . m
    . , at the Warren Township Public Works Garage , located at 1 Bardy Road , Warren , New Jersey 07059 . 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program is to help protect the environment by getting rid of dangerous pharmaceuticals such as unwanted , unused and outdated medicine , " said Somerset County Sheriff Darrin Russo .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 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 that 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 Departmen
   t , 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 that 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 Hazardous Waste drop - off events .
   
   
   

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