FirstEnergy Park, home of the Lakewood BlueClaws. (Photo: Wikimedia Commons)
The Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office said Tuesday that it has partnered with with the DART Coalition, the Ocean County Health Department and the Lakewood Blue Claws to host two prescription drug drop off events this summer at BlueClaws games scheduled for Aug. 14 and 26.
“Come out and enjoy America’s favorite pastime, while taking the opportunity to clean out your medicine cabinet of potentially dangerous prescription drugs,” said Al Della Fave, spokesman for the prosecutor’s office.
Medicines that languish in home cabinets are highly susceptible to diversion, misuse, and abuse, officials have said. In many cases, young people have taken such medications from their parents’ medicine cabinets and ended up addicted. Studies have shown that a majority of abused prescription drugs are obtained from family and friends, including from the home medicine cabinet.
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The prosecutor’s office held the same event last year, during which approximately 100 people took the opportunity to enjoy a ball game while dropping off excess prescriptions. That event yielded 88 pounds of unused drugs in just over a one hour collection period, Della Fave said.
There will be two tables, one at each entrance of the Blue Claws’ stadium, and program volunteers will start accepting unwanted prescriptions before the two designated game starts on Aug. 14 and 26, from 6-7 p.m. The Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office and the Lakewood Police Department will handle transportation and disposal. DART and the Health Department will also have a table inside to distribute substance abuse prevention information
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