National Drug Take Back Day Is Saturday: Drop Offs In Bardonia, Spring Valley

NANUET, NY - Rockland is once again offering residents the opportunity to empty their medicine cabinets of unused prescription drugs before they fall into the wrong hands. National Prescription Drug Take Back Day will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday at several pharmacies in the county.

"This is an easy way to get rid of medications you no longer need so that they don't fall into the wrong hands," County Executive Ed 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."

The event is part of the National Drug Take Back day initiated by the federal Drug Enforcement Agency.

The local event has been organized by Day and the Rockland County Department of Mental Health under the direction of Commissioner Michael Leitzes along with police in Clarkstown, Haverstraw, Orangetown, Spring Valley and the Rockland County Sheriff's Department.

During the last Drug Take Back Day, Rockland residents turned in eight big boxes of unused medications.

"Think of all the pills that his very successful program is keeping out of the hands of our children," Day said. "Eight big boxes of pills could have done a lot of damage."

Residents will be able to bring medications to the following locations where police will be on hand to take the substances and dispose of them in an environmentally safe way.

• Bardonia: CVS, 330 Route 304.
• Garnerville: CVS, 12 West Ramapo Road.
• New City: CVS, 280 South Main Street.
• Nyack: Walgreens, 16 Route 59.
• Orangeburg: Orangetown Police Department, 26 Orangeburg Road.
• Spring Valley: Walgreens, 208 East Route 59.

Many local police stations also accept unwanted medications.

The DEA cannot accept liquids, needles or sharps, only pills or patches. This service is free and anonymous. The medications do not need to be labeled.

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. 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.

Image/ DEA