BUFFALO — The Erie County Sheriff’s Office will take part in the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration’s National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday.
The event is designed to prevent pill abuse and theft by allowing the public to rid their homes of potentially dangerous expired, unused, and unwanted prescription drugs. Residents are asked to bring their pills for disposal to the Bertrand Chaffee Hospital, Grand Island Town Hall, or Town of Hamburg Recreation Department where the sheriff’s office is hosting drop off locations. Collection points will not accept liquids, needles, or sharps, only pills or patches. The service is free and anonymous, no questions asked.
Last September, Americans turned in 350 tons (over 702,000 pounds) of prescription drugs at more than 5,000 sites operated by the DEA and more than 3,800 of its state and local law enforcement partners. In 2015, the Erie County Sheriff’s Office collected about 19,000 pounds of drugs and nearly 11,000 pounds of syringes at its eighteen drop off locations throughout Erie County.
This initiative addresses a vital public safety and public health issue. Medicines that languish in home cabinets are highly susceptible to diversion, misuse, and abuse. Rates of prescription drug abuse in the U.S. 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.
Erie County Sheriff’s Office Locations:
Springville
Bertrand Chaffee Hospital
224 East Main St
Springville, NY 14141
Grand Island
Grand Island Town Hall
2255 Baseline Rd
Grand Island, NY 14072
Hamburg
Town Recreation Dept.
4540 Southwestern Blvd.
Hamburg, NY 14075
