Politics & Government

Prescription Drug Drop-Off Available at Melrose Police Station

Middlesex District Attorney Gerry Leone's office provided the new MedReturn Drug Collection Unit.

Almost everyone has them—old, unused prescription drugs in their bathroom medicine cabinet. What do you do with them? Bring them to the .

Middlesex District Attorney Gerry Leone unveiled the MedReturn Drug Collection Unit program last Friday morning. Through the program, which extends out to 29 county communities, residents will be able to dispose of prescription drugs in a free, safe and easy manner through large green collection boxes found at the police station.

“Prescription drug abuse is the fastest growing problem in our communities,” Leone said.

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Melrose already had a monitored drop-off safe available 24 hours a day for residents to anonymously drop-off unused and unwanted prescription drugs, as well a syringe drop-off box outside the Health Department on the lower level of City Hall.

In a press release, Melrose Police Chief Mike Lyle said that there's a "misunderstanding" about the dangers of prescription drugs.

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“No one should ever take a prescription drug that was not prescribed for them by their doctor," Lyle said in the release. "All too often we see instances  where people have misused and abused these drugs with deadly consequences. Having the drug collection unit  in Melrose will make it easier for all residents to safely dispose of unused drugs and hopefully prevent future drug-related incidents.”

The National Institute on Drug Abuse reports that 2.4 million Americans abused prescription drugs for the first time in 2011—one-third of those Americans were teenagers.

According to Leone, police departments are facing drug problems in many communities, mostly among young people who are abusing someone else’s unused prescription drugs.

“Hopefully we will get unused prescription drugs and only those who are the rightful targets of the prescription will be using them,” said Leone.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has classified prescription drug use as an "epidemic" and reports that 70 percent of users get the drugs from relatives or friends.

In addition to getting the drugs out of homes, Leone said the MedReturn Drug Collection units are “environmentally sound.” No longer will people flush drugs down the toilet with this safe, effective option, he added.

Like Melrose, many of the Middlesex County departments take part in the national prescription drug take-back day, this year held in April.


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