Now you can safely dispose of unused medication without even getting out of your car.
The Riverhead Community Coalition for Safe and Drug-Free Youth and Riverhead Town Police are hosting a drive-up drug take-back event at Riverhead Police headquarters from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, May 16.
The coalition will also provide giveaways for residents who take advantage of this event and help keep these medications out of the hands of teens, addicts and criminals— as well as out of our water supply.
“Getting rid of expired or unused medication is a great way to help prevent drug abuse and protect our environment,” Riverhead Police Chief David Hegermiller said. “Drug drop off days have been extremely successful in Riverhead in the past and now we have made it even easier. Just drive down to Riverhead Police Headquarters on May 16 and you don’t even have to get out of your car. We will be providing drive-up service on that day. Now that’s easy!”
The police station, located at 210 Howell Avenue in Riverhead, also has a secure drug drop-box in the lobby for 24/7 drop-off 365 days per year.
Prescription drug abuse is the fastest-growing drug problem in the United States, especially among teens, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
More people die from prescription drug overdoses than from all illegal drugs combined. In fact, prescription drug deaths are now the leading cause of accidental death in the U.S., outnumbering highway traffic fatalities.
The CDC reports that one in five teens has taken prescription drugs without a doctor’s prescription and each day more than 2,000 teens use prescription drugs to get high for the first time. Teens now abuse prescription drugs more than cocaine, heroin, ecstasy and methamphetamine combined. This may be because they don’t see this behavior as risky since medicine is created and tested in a scientific environment, prescribed by doctors, and used by their parents. In most cases prescription medication is easier to obtain than street drugs. The majority of teens get them from family members, friends, or in the home. Teens who become addicted to prescription drugs are likely to turn to heroin which is much cheaper to buy on the street.
“Spring cleaning is a great opportunity to clean out your medicine cabinet,” Riverhead CAP community prevention specialist Kelly Miloski said. “Our coalition will continue to implement strategies that help residents conveniently dispose of these excess medications.”
For more information about the Riverhead Community Coalition for Safe and Drug-Free Youth, or to participate, please call Riverhead CAP at 727-3722.
Source: Riverhead Community Awareness Program press release issued May 1, 2015.
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