24 May, 2012
New Drug Collection Unit Addresses the Dangers of Unused Prescription Drugs by
Offering Safe Disposal
WOBURN – On Wednesday, May 30, Middlesex District Attorney Gerry
Leone and Hopkinton Police Chief Richard Flannery will unveil Hopkinton’s new drug
collection unit, comprising one of the 29 units that the MDAO has funded to be installed
at police departments throughout Middlesex County.
The units provide a free, safe method to dispose of unused or expired prescription
medication. The Middlesex District Attorney’s Office purchased the units for the
departments through drug forfeiture funds, which can be used for the purpose of drug
rehabilitation, drug education and other anti-drug efforts.
The effort is part of the District Attorney’s goal to address issues of substance
abuse among young people. An estimated 2.4 million Americans misused prescription
drugs for the first time within the past year, and about a third of those users were age 12
to 17, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse. According to the National
Survey on Drug Use and Heath, more than 70 percent of people who abused
prescription pain killers got them from relatives or friends. The bins offer a safe way
to dispose of these drugs.
Every day, on average, 2,500 teens use prescription drugs to get high for the first
time, according to the Drug Enforcement Administration. The DEA also reports that 56
percent of teens say prescription drugs are easier to get than illicit drugs. Two in five
teens believe that prescription drugs are safer than illegal drugs.
WHO: Middlesex District Attorney Gerry Leone
Hopkinton Police Chief Richard Flannery
WHAT: DA Leone & Chief Flannery to unveil new drug collection unit in
Hopkinton. The unit provides safe disposal of unused or expired prescription drugs.
WHEN: Wednesday, May 30 at 1:00 p.m.
WHERE: Hopkinton Police Department
74 Main Street
Hopkinton, MA 01748
