(Editor's note: The following information was submitted by the Tewksbury Police Department.)

This past April and October, the Tewksbury Police Department joined other local police departments and the Drug Enforcement Agency (D.E.A.) to offer one day drug take-back initiatives to safeguard their residents and the environment.  After participating in the D.E.A. sponsored National Drug Take-back Programs, and considering the upswing in prescription drug abuse, it became apparent that this Community would benefit from more access to this disposal process.

On Dec. 14, the Tewksbury Police Department went one step further in fulfilling this necessity by unveiling a permanent “Unwanted Medication Kiosk” in the lobby of the Police Department, so that citizens can safely dispose of expired, unused, and unwanted prescription drugs as needed.  

This Kiosk is a secured, locked, and video monitored receptacle designed to be a collection point for expired, unused, and unwanted medications.  There is a slot on the front that is capable of accepting sealed plastic bags containing pills.  NO liquids or sharps may be deposited into this Kiosk.  Residents are instructed to remove the pills from the prescription bottles and seal them in a plastic “Ziploc” type bag before arriving at Police Headquarters.

Tewksbury Police Department will not be supplying materials for the disposal of unwanted medications nor do they want residents to be packaging the unwanted meds in the lobby.  The pills should be ready for immediate deposit into the Kiosk upon arrival to the Police Department lobby.

The purchase and installation of Tewksbury’s new Kiosk was grant funded through a cooperative partnership between the Tewksbury Board of Health, the Lowell Health Department, and the Upper Merrimack Valley Public Health Coalition. The funding was provided by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (MDPH) Bureau of Substance Abuse Services (BSAS) in an effort to reduce opioid overdoses. Lowell Health Department is one of 15 MassCALL2 communities that received funding from the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (MDPH) Bureau of Substance Abuse Services (BSAS). In an effort to develop an initiative for the proper disposal of prescription drugs, the Lowell Health Department received grant funding to purchase these kiosks. Tewksbury Police Department is one of several local communities that have taken advantage of this opportunity.

Rates of prescription drug abuse in the United States are increasing at alarming rates, especially for teenagers who report they can easily obtain prescription pills from medicine cabinets in their own and other people’s homes.  Common practice has been for residents to dispose of their unwanted medication by throwing it in the trash or toilet. Unfortunately some communities are finding drug residue in surface waters and/or water supplies.

This is a great service being provided and it is going to make a positive impact on our Community. The Unwanted Medication Kiosk provides an environmentally safe solution to get rid of expired, unused, and unwanted medications, keeping them out of the hands of our youth and our water supply.