HAVERHILL — Residents who want to dispose of old or leftover prescription drugs can now drop them off in the lobby of the police station at 40 Bailey Blvd.
Police have installed a lockbox in a corner of the lobby to accept the prescription drugs, and Covanta, a disposal firm located in Ward Hill, has agreed to destroy them.
The box was installed through the efforts of Council On Aging member Joel Berg and police.
Officer Timothy Donovan Jr. said Berg had heard about a similar program at the Danvers Police Department, and suggested it for Haverhill. Capt. Michael Wrenn, patrol commander, said the department did some research on the program and decided to move forward with it.
The purpose of the program is two-fold, Wrenn said.
First, it provides residents with a means of disposing of old or leftover prescription drugs, and second, it helps prevent the drugs from falling into the hands of young people.
"It's a safe way of doing it," Wrenn said.
It also provides a way of disposing of the drugs beside flushing them down the toilet and having them possibly end up in area groundwater, police said.
Needles and other sharp objects may not be disposed of in the box.
"Needles can be dropped off at the Citizens Center on Welcome Street for disposal," Donovan said.
The box has been securely mounted to the wall in the lobby since last week and has not gotten a lot of use as yet. Police believe that will change when word of its existence gets out.
ÔÇæÔÇæÔÇæ
Join the discussion. To comment on stories and see what others are saying, log on to eagletribune.com.
Details in terror plot revealed
Red Sox players, fans react to the epic collapse
Buy Shonda Schilling's clothes for a good cause
Sox fans feeling let down again
