New Hampshire residents are being urged to take part in National Drug Take Back Day Saturday.
Senator Jeanne Shaheen made a personal pitch at the Concord Police Department to safely dispose of unwanted pills.
“My husband and I went through our medicine cabinets this morning and these are drugs that we found that we should get rid of," Shaheen said holding a handful of pill bottles.
Shaheen encouraged others to do the same.
“I would say for everybody you probably got something in there that you should get rid of and make sure that your children and grandchildren don’t get a chance to go through and find something that they shouldn’t.”
Jim Moser of East Kingston also shared his story about his son, who died at age 27 from a drug overdose. His addiction began with prescription pills he found in the family's home.
“If you go to the trouble to take your drugs back, you’re going to absorb an education about the risks. An education we never absorbed and wished we had," Moser said.
"And the added benefit is you may have a conversation with your child about prescription opioids - again another conversation we didn’t have and we have an empty chair at the table the rest of our lives.”
On the last Drug Take Back Day in April, more than 14,000 pounds of prescription drugs were collected in New Hampshire alone.
The take back will last from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at local police stations across the state.
