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Clean out your cupboards: Erie County Department of Health promotes 'Drug Take Back Day' event Oct. 24

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Tue, Oct 13th 2020 11:00 am

Multiple drop-off locations in Erie County for US Drug Enforcement Administration’s nationwide event to dispose of expired and unused medications

On Saturday, Oct. 24, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., eight sites in Erie County and 20 across Western New York will be set up for residents to dispose of expired, unused and unwanted prescription drugs. Coordinated by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, this is the 19th nationwide event held since its start in 2010.

“Old or unused prescriptions, and expired over-the-counter medicines, don’t need to be taking up space in your closets or cabinets. Our department encourages people to dispose of their expired or unused medications, year-round, at community kiosks located in all parts of Erie County,” Commissioner of Health Dr. Gale Burstein said. “With this event happening on Oct. 24, take time to go through your household to collect these items for safe disposal. And if you have older family members who could use assistance, offer to help them with this task as well.”

Sites for the “Drug Take Back Day” are only able to accept pills and patches; sites for this event cannot accept liquids, needles or sharps. Kiosks in Erie County accept other medication forms and sharps.

The service is free and anonymous, no questions asked. Staff and volunteers on-site will follow and enforce local COVID-19 health and safety guidelines. Drivers and passengers should stay in their vehicles at the site and wear a face covering while in their vehicle.

 

Erie County Locations:

Bertrand Chaffee Hospital

224 E Main St.

Springville

Kenmore Mercy Hospital

2950 Elmwood Ave.

Kenmore

Mercy Ambulatory Center

3669 Southwestern Blvd.

Orchard Park

Millard Fillmore Hospital

1540 Maple Road

Williamsville

North Collins Police Dept.

10543 Main St.

North Collins

St. Joseph’s Hospital

2605 Harlem Road

Cheektowaga

Twin District Fire Dept.

4999 William St.

Lancaster

West Seneca Senior Center

4620 Seneca St.

West Seneca

 

WNY Locations:

Bolivar Vol. Fire Dept.

460 Main St.

Bolivar

Cuba Fire Hall

51 East Main St.

Cuba

Corner Drug Store

1 Washington St.

Cattaraugus

Olean Police Department

101 E. State St.

Olean

Salamanca City Fire Dept.

225 Wildwood Ave.

Salamanca

ALSTAR Ambulance HQS North

738 Monroe St.

Dunkirk

Chautauqua Mall

318 E. Fairmount Ave.

Lakewood

Westfield Family Physicians

138 E. Main St.

Westfield

Batavia Police Dept.

10 W Main St.

Batavia

DeGraff Memorial Hospital

445 Tremont St.

North Tonawanda

Mount St. Mary’s Hospital

5300 Military Road

Lewiston

Public Safety Bldg.

13925 State Route 31

Albion

Wyoming County Sheriff’s Office

151 North Main St.

Warsaw

 

Last fall, Americans turned in nearly 883,000 pounds of prescription drugs at nearly 6,300 sites operated by the DEA and almost 5,000 of its state and local law enforcement partners. DEA, along with its law enforcement partners, has now collected nearly 6,350 tons of expired, unused, and unwanted prescription medications since the inception of the National Prescription Drug Take Back Initiative in 2010.

ECDOH said, “This initiative addresses a vital public safety and public health issue. Unused medicines in home cabinets are highly susceptible to diversion, misuse, and abuse. Accidental poisonings and overdoses are also a consequence of drug misuse or improper storage.”

The FDA also provides information on how to properly dispose of prescription drugs. More information is available here: https://www.fda.gov/consumers/consumer-updates/where-and-how-dispose-unused-medicines.

For more information about the disposal of prescription drugs or about the Oct. 24 “Drug Take Back Day” event, go to http://www.DEATakeBack.com.

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