Operation Take Back Set For April 26

Residents in each Cape May County town, including Ocean City, will have the chance to drop off unwanted, unused and expired medication at their local municipality on April 26, Cape May County Prosecutor Robert Taylor said this week.

The drop-off is part of “Operation Take Back,” an initiative headed by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) in conjunction with the Cape May County Prosecutor’s Office and each of the county’s municipalities.

Each municipality will have boxes displayed within the lobby of the police department so that citizens can anonymously dispose of any unwanted, unused or expired medications from their homes. Citizens can walk into the lobby area with no questions asked and dispose of their medications, whether they are a few pills or numerous amounts of various medications.

Labeling and personal identification should be removed from all containers prior to dropping them off. Any containers with liquid should be securely closed ahead of time.

“This is a very important operation used in the war against drugs,” Taylor said in a press release. “It allows these controlled dangerous substances to be disposed of in a safe and non- hazardous manner.”

He added that, more importantly, one goal is to prevent medications from falling into the hands of juveniles or persons engaging in illegal drug distribution within the community.

“I cannot emphasize enough that with the rising number of drug related overdoses in the county and throughout the state, it is important to quickly remove and dispose of these medications, which are now viewed by many as the gateway drug to more deadly drugs such as heroin,” Taylor said.

The Cape May County Prosecutor’s Office is continuing to educate the community on the dangers of heroin and prescription drug use through a program called “Pills to Heroin.” The program includes presentations in school systems and community groups throughout the county.

The program is designed to educate children and adults of all ages of the dangers and consequences involved in the illicit use and distribution of these drugs as well as providing an avenue of help for users and families to protect their loved ones from this deadly epidemic.

To schedule a future presentation, email prosecutor@cmcpros.net.

Information regarding any illegal drug activity and or any criminal activity within the community can be reported anonymously through the Cape May County Sheriff’s Tip Line at cmcsheriff.net and click on anonymous tip, or through the Cape May County Crime Stoppers at 609-465-2800 or 877-465-2801. They can also be reported through the Cape May County Prosecutor’s Office at 609-465- 1168.