Warminster Joins Drug Take-Back Event Saturday

On Saturday, Oct. 26, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) will coordinate again with state and local law enforcement agencies to remove potentially dangerous controlled substances from our community’s medicine cabinets. Collection activities will take place from 10 a.m. through 2 p.m. at sites established throughout Bucks Country. 

The drop off locations in Warminster are the following:

• Warminster Police Department, 401 Gibson Ave.
• Giant Food Store, 720 W. Street Rd.

The event provides an opportunity for the public to surrender expired, unwanted, or unused pharmaceutical controlled substances and other medications for proper and safe destruction. These drugs are a potential source of supply for illegal use and pose a risk to public health and safety when misused.

In Bucks County, Bucks Promise for Youth and Communities has joined forces with the Bucks County Commissioners, the Department of Health, Bucks County Drug and Alcohol Commission, Inc., Bucks County Area Agency on Aging, Bucks County District Attorney’s Office and Bucks County Detectives, working with local law enforcement to provide 28 drop-off locations for prescription and over-the-counter medications. This project is supported by the Bucks County Commissioners and is funded through a grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Health.

According to statistics from the previous seven countywide events, the program has been an enormous success. During seven previous collections (program commenced during September, 2010), more than 12 tons (24,531 pounds) of medications have been taken out of circulation. Furthermore, the April 2013 collection produced an event-record 6,710.4 pounds of medication (up from 850.6 pounds during the first collection back in 2010).

Recent studies by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and others have detected pharmaceutical drugs in varying concentrations in our water supply. Safe disposal of prescription drugs helps to reduce the presence of pharmaceuticals in our drinking water. 

This one-day effort is intended to bring national focus to the issue of increasing pharmaceutical controlled substance abuse and to raise awareness about the dangers of prescription drug misuse, particularly among our youth. The program is anonymous.