National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day ~ Saturday, October 26, 2013 ~ Find a location near you

The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has scheduled another National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day which will take place on Saturday, October 26, 2013, from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. 

According to the DEA, this is a great opportunity for those who missed the previous events, or who have subsequently accumulated unwanted, unused prescription drugs, to safely dispose of those medications.

On Saturday law enforcement agencies throughout the nation, including right here in the Southern  Tier and Finger Lakes regions, have established drop-off centers to allow people to anonymously dispose of unwanted prescription drugs. 

To find out more and to find collection sites throughout the Southern Tier and Finger Lakes regions, CLICK HERE

or visit the DEA website at http://www.justice.gov/dea/index.shtml (click on the "Got Drug?" icon in the right-hand column of the home page)

“It’s incredibly important that our law enforcement leaders are taking part in National Prescription Drug Take Back Day.  Their ongoing leadership in this overall effort to combat the alarming rise of prescription drug abuse will make all the difference,” said O’Mara.

He also noted that Saturday’s take back day follows up and builds on last year’s legislative effort to make New York State a national leader in the fight against prescription drug abuse.

In 2012 the State Legislature and Governor Andrew Cuomo enacted a landmark law called the “Internet System for Tracking Over-Prescribing Act,” commonly known as I-STOP.  Among many provisions, I-STOP creates a new and updated prescription monitoring program within the state Department of Health (DOH),  recognizes the need for increased education among health care providers about the potential for abuse of controlled substances, and requires the DOH to establish a program for the safe disposal of unused controlled substances by consumers.

O’Mara strongly supported I-STOP’s approval, noting that in 2010 over 22 million prescriptions for painkilling drugs were written in New York State – not including refills.

“That’s a stunning figure, especially in a state where the entire population is less than twenty million,” O’Mara said.  “Prescription drug abuse has emerged as one of America’s most alarming, tragic and urgent public health challenges.  This action places New York at the forefront of addressing it and attempting to save lives, especially young lives. ”