On April 26, the Port Washington Police District, in conjunction with the United States Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), hosted a Drug Take Back Day.
This time Long Island collected a grand total of 3,092.20 pounds of medications. From that number, 453.40 pounds came from 25 nursing homes across Long Island. The remaining 2,638.80 pounds were collected from the 48 collection sites the DEA set up on Long Island.
The Port Washington Police District took in 133.38 pounds. Chief James Salerno thanks the community for supporting this effort.
The Port Washington Police District also has a prescription drug drop box located in the lobby of Police Headquarters, at 500 Port Washington Blvd. Residents are able to drop off prescription drugs, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Salerno cautions residents that the Port Washington police can only accept pills or patches. Liquids, needles or sharps will not be accepted.
Salerno reports that the prescription drug drop box was funded through a grant from Target Corp. The grant provides residents of the Port Washington Police District with an outlet to dispose of excess or expired prescription drugs at no cost.
According to the DEA, medicines that languish in home cabinets are highly susceptible to diversion, misuse, and abuse. Rates of prescription drug abuse in the U.S. are alarmingly high, as are the number of accidental poisonings and overdoses due to these drugs.
Studies show that a majority of abused prescription drugs are obtained from family and friends, including from the home medicine cabinet. In addition, Americans are now advised that their usual methods for disposing of unused medicines—flushing them down the toilet or throwing them in the trash—pose potential safety and health hazards.
The grant is part of Target’s ongoing efforts to build strong, safe and healthy communities across the country, Salerno said. These efforts include Target’s long history of giving five percent of its profit to communities, which today equals more than $4 million a week.
