National Prescription Drug Take Back Day Is Saturday

Time to clean out the medicine cabinet...and wherever else you have old pills stashed (kitchen cabinet with the vitamins, anyone?). The 15th National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day is Saturday.

“I urge residents to clean out their medicine cabinets, gather medications they no longer need and safely dispose of them ... keeping them out of the hands of those who might abuse them," said Dutchess County Executive Marcus Molinaro.

Medications steadily accumulate, and most are stored indefinitely or discarded improperly Many Americans flush them down the toilet or throw them away, posing safety and environmental hazards.

The Hudson River, sadly, has high concentrations of prescription drugs. The medications — antibiotics, cholesterol and blood-pressure meds, acetaminophen and a dozen more — are believed to enter the river through sewage outfalls after people excrete unmetabolized doses, or when they flush unused pills or dump medicine down the drain.

After collecting more than 9 million pounds (4,500 tons) of expired, unused and unwanted prescription medications at 14 previous events over the past 8 years, the Drug Enforcement Administration and its national, tribal, and community partners hope to collect a record-breaking amount this year.

State agencies are partnering with the Drug Enforcement Administration and local law enforcement to participate in National Prescription Drug Take Back Day from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. New Yorkers can dispose of their medications at one of 217 participating locations across the state.

You can search for and find collection sites in or near your community here.

Here are some of the local places that will be holding Take-Back events Saturday.

DUTCHESS

From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Vassar Brothers Medical Center, at 45 Reade Place in Poughkeepsie, and Northern Dutchess Hospital, at 6511 Springbrook Avenue in Rhinebeck, will accept medications for disposal.

The following drop-off locations in Dutchess are accessible 24 hours a day, seven days a week:

• Dutchess County Sheriff’s Office, 150 North Hamilton Street, Poughkeepsie
• New York State Police, Troop K Headquarters, 2541 Route 44, Salt Point
• City of Beacon Police Department, 1 Municipal Plaza, Beacon
• East Fishkill Police Department, 2468 Route 52, Hopewell Junction
• Hyde Park Police Department, 3 Cardinal Road, Hyde Park
• Town of Poughkeepsie Police Department, 19 Tucker Drive, Poughkeepsie
• Wappingers Falls Police Department, 2628 South Avenue, Wappingers Falls

Additional drop-off locations are accessible during the following days/hours:

• Village of Millerton Police Department, 21 Dutchess Ave., Millerton, Monday-Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Saturday, noon-midnight; Sunday, 4 p.m.-midnight
• Village of Red Hook Police Department, 7467 South Broadway, Red Hook, Daily, 8 a.m. to midnight
• Dutchess County Sheriff’s Office Pawling Substation, 9 Memorial Avenue, Pawling, Residents can call (845) 486-3000 to make arrangements for drop-off

PUTNAM

Putnam Hospital Center with the Putnam Communities That Care Coalition, the Putnam County Health Department and Putnam County Sheriff's Department will hold a Spring Medication Take Back event 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

WESTCHESTER

Westchester County will open its Household Material Recovery Facility, or H-MRF, 15 Woods Road, Valhalla from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The Westchester County Police are also partnering with Northern Westchester Hospital in Mount Kisco
and the Mount Kisco Drug and Alcohol Abuse Prevention Council to hold a Take Back Day event tomorrow at
the hospital from 10 a.m. to 2 pm.

See the drug disposal page on the county's website.

OSSINING

Image via Shutterstock

SEE:

• Researchers Map High Levels of Drugs in The Hudson
• Unused Medications Drop Box Installed At New Rochelle PD