Lehigh County District Attorney Jim Martin said that 6,349 pounds of medications were collected during 2019 at the permanent medication collection sites located in Lehigh County. A total of 29,752 pounds have been collected since the program’s inception.

The use of the boxes by Lehigh County residents has grown dramatically since 2014, the first year that statistics were kept. At the end of that year, 1,855 pounds were collected, less than a third of this past year’s amount.

Permanent medication collection boxes are located in 12 police departments, with additional boxes at three Lehigh Valley Hospital locations.

The funds for the boxes were provided through a grant program made possible by a partnership of the Pennsylvania District Attorneys Association, Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency, and the Pennsylvania Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs.

“It is gratifying to see that Lehigh County residents have embraced the idea of disposing of their unwanted medications safely,” Martin said. “The medication collection boxes are effective tools in combating prescription and over-the-counter drug abuse and related crimes and issues,” he added.

Local police departments collect and box the drugs. Quarterly, detectives of the Lehigh County Drug Task Force pick up the drugs from the departments and weigh them. Then they, along the members of the Pennsylvania National Guard, transport them to the Covanta Energy Plant in Chester, where the National Guard disposes of them safely.

Residents can place medications in the boxes anonymously. There is no charge.

Items that are accepted include prescription and over-the-counter medications, samples, vitamins, prescription ointments and patches, and pet medications.

Items not accepted are syringes, needles, sharps or other sharp objects, medications from businesses and clinics, lotions and liquids, aerosol cans, inhalers, hydrogen peroxide and thermometers.

Collection boxes are located through the Lehigh Valley. The closest one is at the Slatington Police Department, 125 S. Walnut St., Slatington, open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday.