Beekman Sheds Hundreds of Pounds of Prescription Drugs Through Senator Murphy's Drop-Off Program

Beekman, NY - Deaths from drug overdoses have jumped in nearly every county across the United States, driven largely by an explosion in addiction to prescription painkillers and heroin.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 52,000 Americans died of drug overdoses in 2015. That is an average of one death every ten minutes. Approximately 33,000 of these fatal overdoses-nearly two-thirds of them-were from opioids, including prescription painkillers and heroin.
 
Senator Terrence Murphy has a solution that has helped slow the rising tide of prescription drug abuse. He implemented "Shed the Meds," an ongoing program that has helped residents in the 40th Senate District rid themselves of their outdated and unwanted prescription drugs.  On September 26, Senator Murphy brought his "Shed the Meds" prescription drop-off program to the Beekman Town Hall in Poughquag. The program was co-sponsored by the Town of Beekman, Dutchess County Legislator Marc Coviello, Assemblyman Kieran Lalor, the Dutchess County Sheriff's Department, and the Council on Addiction, Prevention and Education.
 
"By disposing old and unwanted drugs, we are helping protect our families and our communities," said Senator Murphy. "We have had people come up to us who have had prescription medications in their medicine cabinet for over a decade, and they tell us how relieved they are to finally have them out of the house, away from their kids and grandkids. If Shed the Meds saves the life of one person, and can keep people from treating our waterways like garbage dump, then our efforts have been worth it."
 
Dutchess County Legislator Marc Coviello said, "Senator Murphy has been instrumental in reducing the number of prescription overdoses in our district through his Shed the Meds Prescription Drop-off Program. I was proud to be able to stand with him and speak with our constituents, as so many members of our community took part in this important program."
 
"I am pleased to work in conjunction with Senator Murphy's Office for the Shed the Meds Program," said Beekman Town Supervisor Barbara Zulauf. "I see this as a wonderful opportunity for residents to properly dispose of their unwanted and unused medications. This prevents these drugs from polluting our waterways or being mishandled by drug abusers. I applaud Senator Murphy for leading this effort against prescription drugs."
 
 "The 'Shed the Meds' program provides an accessible venue for safe disposal of old and expired medications," said Assemblymen Kieran Lalor. "It is set up so that residents can participate easily in this event, and help prevent the problems caused by unused drugs, such as accidental ingestion, residual pollution and theft.  I was happy to partner on this program, which helps maintain safe neighborhoods in our community." 
 
Safe disposal helps protect the environment and eliminates the risk of these drugs getting into the hands of small children or those who might misuse them. Improper disposal of medications, such as pouring them down the drain or flushing them down the toilet, can potentially pollute local waterways.