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North Hempstead Takes Its Pharmaceutical Takeback Program to Town Schools

 

For Immediate Release                                                                                                                   Contact: Collin Nash or Sid Nathan
May 12, 2011                                                                                                                                                              (516) 869-7794

North Hempstead Takes Its Pharmaceutical Takeback Program to Town Schools


North Hempstead, NY North Hempstead, NY – As the population of young people said to be abusing prescription drugs climb to alarming heights, Supervisor Jon Kaiman and the Town Board announce that North Hempstead is taking its highly successful pharmaceutical take-back program on the road, making stops at high school campuses across the town.

Joining with the nine of the eleven school districts participating in North Hempstead’s Comprehensive School Recycling Partnership program, the Town will host a series of pharmaceutical collection programs.

The second event kicks off Saturday, May 21 from 9:30 am to 3:00 pm at Herricks Community Center, 999 Herricks Rd., across from Herricks High School.

“With prescription drug abuse on the rise, we urge all residents to go through their home medicine cabinets and take advantage of this opportunity to safely dispose of their unwanted and expired prescription drugs at our drop off locations,” Supervisor Kaiman said.

According to a 2009 survey from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, prescription drug abuse is a triggering cause for concern, with 20% of teens saying they have taken pharmaceuticals of one kind or another without a doctor's prescription.

At the same time, drug addiction experts contend that abuse of narcotics such as painkillers are a gateway to illegal street drugs such as heroin. Observers point to developments such as a recent spate of gun-point holdups at area pharmacies which were robbed of prescription drugs as an indication of the seriousness of prescription drug abuse.

In the fall of 2009, the Town of North Hempstead became the first municipality in Nassau County to host a drug disposal event.

Since the program began, which is conducted in partnership with the Nassau County Police Department, it has netted in excess of 3000 lbs. of unwanted pharmaceuticals, and each event has seen staggering increases in the collection of narcotics.

The program involving the schools will in the near future take in Carle Place High School on June 18 and Wheatley High School in the East Williston School District on Sept. 24. In addition, the Town hosts Pharmaceutical Collection Events four times a year during the Town’s Stop Throwing Out Pollutants (STOP) program.

Call 311 for information about upcoming pharmaceutical take-back events.
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