Community Partnership Brings Medication Collection Box to Nazareth

The Northampton County Chiefs of Police Association, in partnership with Pennsylvania American Water and the Pennsylvania District Attorneys Association announced today the installation of a PA MedReturn medication collection box at the Nazareth Police Headquarters at 134 South Main Street. This partnership offers disposal options to local residents to anonymously and safely dispose of unwanted and expired drugs and medication.

The new box is located at rear of the building, lower level, and is accessible 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, plus additional hours when police officer is available to allow access (buzzer entry). The collection box program is intended to get drugs safely off the streets, keeping them away from youth and protect local waterways.

“From our experience, the best and most cost-effective way to ensure high-quality water at the tap is to keep our source waters clean,” said Robert Burton, Pennsylvania American Water’s Senior Director of Operations. “That is why we are excited about this partnership to help us spread the message: ‘Please don’t flush medications down the toilet, where they would eventually end up in our waterways.’ This collection box will benefit the community, the environment and our water sources for generations to come.”

“On behalf of Northampton County, I want to thank Pennsylvania American Water for recognizing this as an important public health and public safety issue,” said Nazareth Police Commissioner Randall Miller. “By providing the opportunity to safely dispose of unused prescription medications, we are taking action to potentially save lives and protect our environment.”

“The Northampton County Chiefs of Police Association partnered with the Pennsylvania District Attorneys Association to provide the medication collection box for the Nazareth community, so that our residents will have a convenient means to dispose of unused medicines,” according to Roy Seiple, Vice-Chair of the Association and Colonial Regional Police Chief. “This also provides residents peace of mind knowing that children and visitors won’t have access to expired and unwanted medications stored at home.”

Ken Zinis, the Northampton County Environmental Services Coordinator, added, “It’s very gratifying to experience such teamwork creating a simple, yet effective program, that elevates public safety, and creates value for our citizens, while protecting our environment, all at once.”

Pennsylvania American Water provided a $500 grant to sponsor the collection box as part of the statewide PA MedReturn program, which is administered by the Pennsylvania District Attorneys Association in partnership with the Pennsylvania Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs and the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency. Across Pennsylvania, residents can appropriately dispose of unwanted medicine at boxes that are available at police stations and other public locations. For a list of collection box locations in Northampton County and throughout the state, visit https://apps.ddap.pa.gov/GetHelpNow/PillDrop.aspx.

Pennsylvania American Water, a subsidiary of American Water (NYSE: AWK), is the largest water utility in the state, providing high-quality and reliable water and/or wastewater services to approximately 2.2 million people. Founded in 1886, American Water is the largest and most geographically diverse publicly traded U.S. water and wastewater utility company. With headquarters in Voorhees, N.J., the company employs approximately 6,800 dedicated professionals who provide drinking water, wastewater and other related services to an estimated 15 million people in 47 states and parts of Canada.

Additional information about the dangers of prescription drug abuse and to get help for yourself or a loved one is available at www.ddap.pa.gov.