South Whitehall Police Collect Nearly 45 Pounds of Unused Medicine on "Take Back" Day

South Whitehall police collected 44.5 pounds of prescription medicine during , with a total of 1,008 pounds collected county-wide, according to the Lehigh County District Attorney's office.

In a prepared release, officials said the second annual initiative on April 30 gave the public an opportunity to safely dispose of expired, unwanted and unused prescription and over-the-counter drugs.

The medicines, collected at 16 sites, were turned over to the Drug Enforcement Administration. The drugs were to be burned.

“We are grateful to Lehigh County residents for their support of this important initiative to safely dispose of medications and to keep them out of the wrong hands,” Lehigh County District Attorney James Martin said in the release. “Police reported that members of the public turned in bags and boxes filled with medications, some dating to the 1970s.

The Lehigh County collections were coordinated by the District Attorney’s Office, the Allentown Health Bureau, police departments, state police, the Pennsylvania Medical Society, DrugFree Pennsylvania and the U.S. Department of Justice Drug Enforcement Administration.

The following are the totals collected from each Lehigh County site, according to the release:

• 5.2 pounds, Alburtis Police Department;
• 115 pounds, Berks-Lehigh Regional Police Department
• 36.7 pounds, Bethlehem Police Department W. Broad Street Substation;
• 9.2 pounds, Catasauqua Police Department;
• 68.7 pounds, Emmaus Police Department;
• 3.5 pounds, Fountain Hill Police Department;
• 42.9 pounds, Coopersburg Police Department at the Giant supermarket on Route 309;
• 14 pounds, Lower Milford Township Police Department;
• 46.5 pounds, Macungie Police Department;
• 14 pounds, Pennsylvania State Police Troop M, Bethlehem;
• 28 pounds, Salisbury Township Police Department;
• 12 pounds, Slatington Police Department;
• 44.5 pounds, South Whitehall Township Police Department;
• 23 pounds, Upper Saucon Township Police Department;
• 502.1 pounds, Allentown Police Department at Wegmans supermarket on Tilghman Street;
• 42.6 pounds, Whitehall Township Police Department.