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Kentwood Police: Safely Bring In Unwanted Prescription Drugs

Kentwood PD
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The Kentwood Police Department along with the Drug Enforcement Administration will give the public another opportunity to turn in unwanted prescription drugs.  They say it’s a chance to help prevent pill abuse and theft.

“We’re just looking to hopefully prevent some overdose, misuse on these types of things.”

Deputy Police Chief Richard Roberts says the Kentwood Police Department, paired with the Drug Enforcement Administration has been hosting a bi-annual prescription drug return program for 8 years giving residents a great opportunity.

“To bring in unwanted, expired, drugs and pills that otherwise would be left around the homes and certainly can help prevent any type of abuse or theft of these potentially dangerous prescription drugs.”

Deputy Police Chief Roberts says their program is not in direct response to the current opioid crisis as again they’ve been doing this for years, but it definitely helps.

“But anytime we can get rid of and prevent pills from being abused from those not prescribed them it certainly can be part of that public safety and public health issues.”

Deputy Chief Roberts adds residents are now advised to avoid older methods of disposal like  just throwing them in the trash or flushing them down the toilet.

“A lot of these things if they’re flushed down the toilet can end up back into our water treatment facilities and then they have to deal with it. So, it can pose potential safety and health hazards.”

The prescription take back will be held on Saturday, October 27th from 10 am until 2 p.m. at the Kentwood Police Department on Walma Avenue, Southeast.  The service is free and its anonymous.

Jennifer is an award winning broadcast news journalist with more than two decades of professional television news experience including the nation's fifth largest news market. She's worked as both news reporter and news anchor for television and radio in markets from Grand Rapids and Kalamazoo all the way to San Francisco, California.