FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 21, 2016
Contact: Jane Lerner, Director of Strategic Communications

Office of the County Executive (845) 638-5645

ROCKLAND COUNTY PARTNERS WITH CLARKSTOWN, HAVERSTRAW POLICE, DEA, CVS TO TAKE BACK UNWANTED, UNUSED PRESCRIPTION DRUGS

CVS Locations in New City, Bardonia, Garnerville to Collect Unwanted, Unused Medications on Saturday, April 30

NEW CITY - Rockland residents will have an opportunity on April 30 to empty their medicine cabinets of unused prescription drugs before they fall into the wrong hands.

Rockland County Executive Ed Day and the Rockland County Department of Mental Health under the direction of Commissioner Michael Leitzes are announcing a partnership with police in Clarkstown and Haverstraw and the federal Drug Enforcement Administration to help residents safely dispose of unwanted medications, including controlled substances.

Residents will be able to bring medications to three locations – New City, Bardonia and Garnerville – where police will be on hand to take the substances and dispose of them in an environmentally safe way.

The event is part of National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day, in which communities throughout the country dispose of medications safely.

"This is an easy way to get rid of medications you no longer need so that they don't fall into the wrong hands," Day said. "Disposing of medications you no longer need by handing them over to the proper authorities also protects the environment by keeping prescription drugs out of our water."

Police from both Haverstraw and Clarkstown are taking part in this year's event.

Between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., Saturday, April 30, bring medication for disposal to:

•        CVS, 280 South Main Street, New City.

•        CVS, 330 Route 304, Bardonia,

CVS, 12 West Ramapo Road, Garnerville

The DEA cannot accept liquids, needles or sharps, only pills or patches. This service is free and anonymous. No questions will be asked.

During the first Rockland Prescription Drug Take Back Day, Clarkstown police said they collected more medications in four hours than they did during the entire year.

Last year, Americans turned in 309 tons of prescription drugs at nearly 5,500 sites operated by the DEA during National Prescription Drug Take Back Day.

This initiative addresses a vital public safety and public health issue. Medicines that languish in home cabinets are highly susceptible to diversion, misuse and abuse. Rates of prescription drug abuse nationwide are alarmingly high, as are the number of accidental poisonings and overdoses due to prescription drugs.

Studies show that a majority of abused prescription drugs are obtained from family and friends, including from the home medicine cabinet.

A common method of disposing of unused medicines by flushing them down the toilet or throwing them in the trash pose potential safety and health hazards.

For more information about the disposal of prescription drugs or about April 30 Take Back Day events at CVS locations in New City, Bardonia, and Garnerville, visit the DEA Office of Diversion Control website at http://www.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/drug_disposal/takeback/