the seventeenth national take back day was held on april 27, 2019, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. when residents discarded expired, unwanted and unused prescription and over-the-counter medications at 14 sites in lehigh county.

a total of 753 pounds of medications were collected, bringing the total collected since the first take back day in 2010 to a staggering amount of 13,696.5 pounds -- more than six tons.

the collection sites were at catasauqua, fountain hill, macungie, south whitehall township, and upper saucon township police departments; the south mall (central court); wegmans allentown; giant supermarket on w. emmaus avenue in allentown; cvs pharmacy, 1601 liberty st., allentown; the westgate mall (main entrance); david’s italian market, emmaus; and st. luke’s university health network, allentown and fountain hill campuses.

year-round, there are permanent collection boxes that the public can use to dispose of medications at 12 police departments in lehigh county, lehigh valley hospital -- salisbury township, lehigh valley hospital -- muhlenberg in bethlehem, and lehigh valley hospital -- 17th street in allentown.

to see the locations, days and times the boxes are available, please visit the "of interest" section of the district attorney's office main page on the lehigh county website, www.lehighcounty.org. 

As of June 30, 2019, a total of 26,625 pounds of medications had been collected at the police departments and the three hospitals.

A total of 40,321.5 pounds of drugs -- more than 20 tons -- have been collected from the boxes and the Take Back Days in Lehigh County.