The Erie County Sheriff’s Office has announced their participation in the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration’s National Prescription Drug Take-Back.
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The National Drug Take-Back initiative began in 2010. Prescription drugs are the second most commonly abused narcotic. Overall, in its 10 previous Take Back events, DEA and its partners have taken in more than 5.5 million pounds-more than 2,750 tons.
Mayor James Schell said the police department did not hold a drug take-back day last year, so this would be a very good opportunity for residents to “clean out their medicine cabinets” and get rid of any unused or expired medications that they weren’t able to dispose of last year.
If you have old medications in your medicine cabinet that you no longer take but you don’t know what to do with, Sheriff Steve Prator has an event coming up that will help you dispose of those meds. A container will be made available at each location and those participating simply drop the medications into it. Labels may be removed from the bottles, if desired. Pills, tablets, or capsules can also be put directly into the disposal box.
“This is a successful program because of everyone working together”, said Livingston Police Officer Gary Mankowitz, who is the Chairman of the Essex County Crime Prevention Officers Association.
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Usual habits of simply flushing drugs down the toilet or throwing them away are not advised by authorities, as they could pose health hazards. “We have 10 permanent sites and eight temporary sites open on April 30, but I’d like to see locations in every municipality”. Those medications will then be collected and properly disposed.
