Pounds of prevention: Senator Murphy's successful prescription drop-off program returns to Somers

Somers, NY - One thing we seem to all agree on - there is nothing we would not do to protect our families, particularly our children. Yet 160 children go to a hospital emergency room every day because of accidental prescription drug overdoses. According to Safe Kids Worldwide, in 2013 alone, 60,000 young children were taken to emergency rooms after ingesting pain relievers, prescription drugs or vitamins that adults left either in cabinets, pill organizers, purses, diaper bags, or on countertops where children were able to reach the medication.
 
Senator Terrence Murphy has implemented an effective solution to help residents dispose of their outdated prescription drugs and keep children, adults, and seniors safe. On August 15th, Senator Murphy partnered with Assemblyman Kevin Byrne, the Town of Somers, Somers Police Department, Drug Crisis in our Backyard, and Somers Partners in Prevention to host his "Shed the Meds" prescription drop-off program at the Somers Police Station. Last year, the Senator's successful program took over 1,000 pounds of prescription drugs out of circulation.
 
"It was a pleasure teaming up with Supervisor Morrissey, the Somers Police Department and local drug-prevention organizations fighting the war against addiction to help put the brakes on this runaway crisis," said Senator Murphy. "By disposing old and unwanted drugs, we are helping protect our families and our communities. If Shed the Meds saves one life, then our efforts are worth it."
 
Assemblyman Kevin Byrne said, "Shed the Meds is an important event. Safely disposing expired or unused medication protects the environment, prevents young children from accidental misuse, and keeps prescription drugs off the streets. I want to thank all the participating parties for making this event possible."
 
"Shedding medications in your medicine cabinets is an important first step in curtailing the misuse of prescription medications and protecting the environment," said Somers Town Supervisor Rick Morrissey. "Our goal to reduce the availability of opioids and unused medications was met by the many concerned residents who turned out for our Shed the Meds event.  Your Community leaders and the environment are thankful for your efforts." 
"A lot of people with large quantities of prescription drugs need a periodic cleansing of their medicine cabinets," said Kathy Cucchiarella, Chair, for Somers Partners in Prevention. "The Shed the Meds program is a great opportunity to raise awareness about the dangers of keeping old prescriptions drugs around the house. In particular, many seniors run the risk of overdosing because they accidentally take expired medications."
 
Anyone with unwanted or expired medications can bring them to a Shed the Meds event where they will be disposed of safely. However, needles cannot be accepted. 
 
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.
 
The dates and locations for future Shed the Meds summer programs are:
 
Yorktown - Tuesday, August 22 at Jefferson Village (parking lot area), Hill Blvd. in Yorktown.
 
Lewisboro - Tuesday, August 29 at the Lewisboro Police Department, 79 Bouton Road in South Salem.
 
Carmel - Wednesday, September 6 at Carmel Town Hall, 60 McAlpin Avenue in Mahopac.
 
ALL SHED THE MEDS EVENTS ARE SCHEDULED TO RUN FROM 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.