Drug Take-back Brings in 133 Pounds of Unwanted Meds in Port Washington

The Port Washington Police District in conjunction with the Drug Enforcement Administration hosted a drug take-back day on Saturday, April 26.

This time Long Island collected a grand total of 3,092.2 pounds of medications. From that number 453.4pounds came from 25 nursing homes across long island. The remaining 2,638.8 pounds were collected from the 48 collection sites the DEA had set up on Long Island. 

The Port Washington Police District took in 133.38 pounds.

Chief James Salerno thanked the community for supporting this effort.

The Port Washington Police District also has a prescription drug drop box in the lobby of police headquarters, at 500 Port Washington Blvd., where people can drop off prescription drugs, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. However, Port Washington Police can only accept pills or patches.  Liquids, needles or sharps will not be accepted.

The prescription drug drop box was funded through a grant from Target Corporation.  The grant provides the residents of the 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 nation 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—both pose potential safety and health hazards.