As part of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration's 15th annual National Prescription Drug Take Back Day (April 28), Mount St. Mary's Hospital is joining forces with local law enforcement to help get unused and unwanted drugs out of people's homes. In addition to prescription and over-the-counter medications, syringes and needles will also be accepted from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Catholic Health sites. The service is free and anonymous, with no questions asked.
The collection for Niagara County will take place at the hospital's north entrance traffic circle, at 5300 Military Road in Lewiston.
By participating in the annual DEA take-back program, Mount St. Mary's Hospital, a part of Catholic Health, is helping get drugs off streets and out of homes. The hospital said prescription drugs are a common cause of accidental poisonings in children and should be appropriately discarded when no longer needed. Leftover prescription opioid painkillers, in particular, pose a risk for addiction and overdoses.
Since 1999, overdose deaths involving prescription opioids have quadrupled. Every day, 115 Americans die from an opioid-related overdose - that is more than the number of people killed in car accidents or by guns.
Last fall, Americans turned in 456 tons (912,000 pounds) of unwanted prescription drugs at more than 5,300 sites sponsored by the DEA and its almost 4,300 state and local law enforcement partners. Overall, in its 14 previous Take Back events, the DEA and its partners have taken in more than 9 million pounds - more than 4,500 tons - of pills.
In addition, Americans are now advised their usual methods for disposing of unused medicines -flushing them down the toilet or throwing them in the trash - both pose potential safety and health hazards.
For more information about the disposal of prescription drugs, or about the April 28 Take Back Day event, go to
www.DEATakeBack.com.
