Armato Urges Public to Take Part in

National Prescription Drug Take Back Day

            (TRENTON– Continuing to raise awareness for the dangers of opioids, Assemblyman John Armato (D-Atlantic) reminds New Jerseyans to dispose of their unused and unwanted prescription drugs on National Prescription Drug Take Back Day this Saturday, Oct. 26.

            “As a certified recovery coach, I’ve seen the impacts of the opioid epidemic firsthand,” said Armato. “In so many cases, addiction begins at home with prescription drugs. We all have an opportunity on National Prescription Drug Take Back Day to clean out our home medicine cabinets and prevent dangerous drugs from falling into vulnerable hands.”

            In 2018, over 3,000 people in New Jersey lost their lives to opioid addiction. Nationwide, 9.9 million Americans misused controlled prescription drugs and a majority of abused prescription drugs were obtained from family and friends, often from the home medicine cabinet, according to the 2018 National Survey on Drug Use and Health.

            “To successfully combat the opioid epidemic, we need to use every tool in our arsenal. Efforts like Drug Take Back Day get us one step closer to ending this crisis across the nation,” Armato said.

            Drugs may be dropped off anonymously with no questions asked, free of charge. There are dozens of drop off locations in New Jersey, including several in Atlantic County.

            To find a drop off location and for more information on opioid addiction, visit takebackday.dea.gov.