5 Things to Know About Prescription Drugs in Your Home

1. in addition to other departments and organizations will hold “Take Back” day across Northampton and Lehigh counties from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday. On this day, in the Nazareth area, you can safely dispose of unwanted or unused prescription drugs by taking them to and in Lower Nazareth Township, or to in Bath. Police officers will accept controlled, non-controlled and over-the-counter medications. Local participation is led by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Lehigh County District Attorney’s Office, the Allentown Health Bureau, multiple police departments, and other organizations.

2. Remove any personal information from bottles or packages that contain medications. Liquid products and creams in containers will be accepted.

3. Sharpies and syringes will not be accepted because of the potential hazard posed by blood-borne pathogens. Illegal substances, such as marijuana and methamphetamine, are not part of the program and should not be placed in the collection boxes.

4. Keeping expired or unused medicine can be dangerous. “People can mistake one medication for another, especially if  the names of the medications are close,” said Vicky Kistler, director of the Allentown Health Bureau. Having excess medications stored in homes “also can provide the opportunity for curious youths to experiment with dangerous drugs with serious consequences,” she added.

5. Last September, Americans turned in 242,000 pounds -- 0r 121 tons -- of prescriptions drugs at nearly 4,100 sites operated by the DEA and more than 3,000 state and local law enforcement partners, according to a release from Colonial Regional Police.

In 2010, police officers in Lehigh County collected 192.47 pounds of pills and capsules, including pain-killers, appetite suppressants, anxiety-relievers, vitamins and pet medications.

The total collected in Lehigh, Northampton, Berks and Schuylkill counties, which are in the U.S. Department of Justice Drug Enforcement Administration Allentown Resident territory, was 561.29 pounds. In Pennsylvania, almost 3 tons of medications were picked up by the National Guard and taken to an incinerator out of state to be burned.

Here is a complete list of “Take Back” locations in Northampton County:

• - 3835 Dryland Way
• - 859 Nazareth Pike
• - 310 S. Walnut St.
• - 4225 Easton Avenue, Bethlehem
• Wegmans - 5000 Wegman's Drive, Bethlehem
• Pennsylvania State Police Department (Bethlehem Barracks) - 2930 Airport Road, Bethlehem
• Bethlehem Police Substation - 434 W. Broad St., Bethlehem
• Fountain Hill Police Department - 941 Long St., Bethlehem
• - 3700 Old Philadelphia Pike, Bethlehem
• Catasauqua Police Department - 118 Bridge St., Catasauqua