FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: September 12, 2013
MEDIA CONTACTS: Collin Nash, Ryan Mulholland, & Sam Marksheid | (516) 869-7794
TONH Announces Pharmaceutical Drop-Off Programs
North Hempstead, NY –Alarmed by the increase in prescription drug abuse among young adults and the heroin epidemic on Long Island, Supervisor Jon Kaiman and the North Hempstead Town Board have partnered with the Nassau County Police Department and Nassau County District Attorney Kathleen Rice, for another school sponsored pharmaceutical drop-off event.
This fall, pharmaceutical drop-off programs will take place in seven school districts that participate in the School Recycling Partnership Program. The first pharmaceutical collection event will be hosted in partnership with the Sewanhaka School District and will take place Saturday September 21, from 10:00am to 1:00pm at New Hyde Park Memorial High School, located at 500 Leonard Boulevard in New Hyde Park.
“The growing success of our pharmaceutical take-back program not only underscores the critical need for such an effort, but speaks volumes about the troublesome quantity of potentially dangerous drugs that might otherwise be left in households or improperly discarded, posing a threat to the safety of our environment and our children,” said Supervisor Kaiman. “We are proud to be at the forefront of this vital program in Nassau County.”
One cause of the drug problem on Long Island is how easily teens can find them. Over half of teens who abuse prescription painkillers report they get them for free from the homes of family or friends, or they take them from family or friends without asking.
Pharmaceutical collection also offers a means of keeping prescription and over-the-counter drugs out of our drinking water and landfills. In addition, law enforcement experts believe strongly that minimizing the potential for medications to be exposed to illegal uses will positively impact drug abuse.
“Medicine cabinets filled with prescription painkillers are targeted by users looking for an easy supply, and the devastating effects of addiction can be found in every community across Nassau County,” said District Attorney Rice. “Drug reclamation events provide a safe and secure location to dispose of unused medication before it falls into the wrong hands. I am proud to stand with the Town of North Hempstead and the Nassau County Police Department in sponsoring this essential program.”
The Town of North Hempstead was the first municipality in the Nassau County area to host a pharmaceutical disposal event in June of 2009. In 4 years, the Pharmaceutical Collection Program has collected over 4 tons of expired and unwanted pharmaceuticals and has instituted the program as a permanent part of the S.T.O.P. (Stop Throwing Out Pollutants) Program.
The entire pharmaceutical drop-off program schedule is as follows:
Saturday, Sept. 28
Herricks Community Center
999 Herricks Road, New Hyde Park
10am-1pm
Sat. Oct. 5
Carle Place Middle/High School
168 Cherry Lane, Carle Place
10am-1pm
Sousa Elementary School
101 Sands Point Road, Port Washington
10am-1pm
Sat. Oct. 19
The Wheatley School
11 Bacon Road, Old Westbury
10am-1pm
Sat. Oct. 26
Manhasset Park District
(lot across from Manhasset High School)
9:30am-2:00pm
JFK Elementary
1A Grass Field Road, Great Neck
10am-1pm
For a complete list of all accepted items and for more information, please visit www.northhempsteadny.gov or call 311.