WESTMINSTER — A new sign directs residents to the prescription-drug drop box at the Bellows Falls Police Department at the Rockingham/Westminster Recycling Center.
Leftover medicine poses a serious safety threat in the U.S., with more people dying each year from overdoses involving prescription painkillers than from heroin and cocaine combined, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Seventy percent of people aged 12 and older who misuse prescription drugs get them from family or friends, according to a news release.
This service is free and anonymous, and it provides a safe, convenient, and responsible means of disposing of extra or expired prescription drugs. Pills, patches, and sharps are accepted at the Bellows Falls drop box location.
Liquid medications may be mixed with kitty litter or coffee grounds, put in a sealable plastic bag, and placed in the trash. Liquids cannot be collected at the “Rx” drop boxes.
Unused or expired medications can also be taken to the Bellows Falls Police Department at 170 Rockingham St., Monday through Friday, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.