ROCKLAND COUNTY, LOCAL PDs, THE DEA AND CVS OFFER TO TAKE YOUR DRUGS BACK, NO QUESTIONS ASKED

CVS Locations in New City, Bardonia, Garnerville to Collect unused medications on Saturday, October 22

PRESS RELEASE – Rockland is once again offering residents the opportunity to empty their medicine cabinets of unused prescription drugs before they fall into the wrong hands, County Executive Ed Day announced Tuesday.

Another National Prescription Drug Take Back Day will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 22 at three pharmacies in Rockland –  two in Clarkstown and one in Haverstraw.

The event is part of the National Drug Take Back day initiated by the federal Drug Enforcement Agency. The local event has been organized by County Executive Day and the Rockland County Department of Mental Health under the direction of Commissioner Michael Leitzes along with police in Clarkstown and Haverstraw.

During the last Drug Take Back Day held in April, Rockland residents turned in eight big boxes of unused medications.

“Think of all the pills that this very successful program is keeping out of the hands of our children,” Day said. “Eight big boxes of pills could have done a lot of damage.”

Residents will be able to bring medications to three CVS locations where police will be on hand to take the substances and dispose of them in an environmentally safe way.

Between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 22, bring medication for disposal to:

·        CVS, 280 South Main Street, New City.

·        CVS, 330 Route 304, Bardonia.

·        CVS, 12 West Ramapo Road, Garnerville

Pills and patches only — liquids, needles or sharps will not be accepted. The medications do not need to be labeled. This service is free and anonymous.

The DEA formed the initiative because abuse of prescription drugs has been near record highs, as are the number of accidental poisonings and overdoses due to prescription drugs. Last year, Americans turned in 309 tons of prescription drugs at nearly 5,500 sites operated by the DEA during National Prescription Drug Take Back Day.

Disposing of unused medicines by flushing them down the toilet or throwing them in the trash is considered potentially harmful to the environmental.

For more information about the disposal of prescription drugs or about National Drug Take Back Day events at visit the DEA Office of Diversion Control website  or at http://www.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/drug_disposal/takeback/