CHEEKTOWAGA – Elected leaders are reminding residents to participate in the National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day, Saturday, October 28th from 10 am – 2 pm.
Assemblymembers Monica Wallace and Sean Ryan, County Executive Mark Poloncarz, Supervisor Diane Benczkowski, Cheektowaga Police Lieutenant Brain Gould, and representatives from Sisters of Charity Hospital St. Joseph’s Campus, gathered outside the hospital Friday afternoon – the drop off site for Cheektowaga.
“There’s no need to have any type of pharmaceutical whether its opioids or just regular prescription drugs or any type of drugs lying around,” says Adele Battaglia, a pharmacist at St. Joseph’s Campus. “If they’re not being used, they should be disposed of properly and this (program) gives a great opportunity for those to be disposed of properly.”
The most recent national drug take-back program in April accounted for 37,769 pounds of unused, unwanted, and expired prescription medication being collected in New York State according to the Drug Enforcement Administration.
“Think of a Tylenol tablet – tiny. Now take that and think how much you need to get to 37,000 pounds. It works. Here at St. Joseph’s Campus we’ll probably get over 200 cars and people will bring anything from one or two pill containers to grocery bags full so it does serve a community need,” added Ms. Battagila.
The drugs collected are incinerated at a Niagara County facility.
Most importantly, Assemblymember Wallace says the drugs are out of reach for potential abuse. “Those unused pills create the opportunity for young adults to experiment with opioids. This National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day is a great opportunity for households to safely dispose of unused and unwanted prescription drugs. I’m grateful for law enforcement agencies here in Western New York and across the country for stepping up and leading this effort.”
If you can’t attend the drop off event Saturday, Supervisor Bencczkowski says the town has taken steps to make drug disposal a hassle-free experience. “Cheektowaga recognized the importance of disposing no longer used prescription drugs and took a proactive approach installing a permanent prescription drug drop off box in the police department’s main lobby late last year. I’m hopeful residents will join the Town and our police department in disposing their unwanted, unused and expired prescription drugs tomorrow and continue to take a proactive approach throughout the year.”
Several other locations across Erie County are also hosting a drop-off site:
- Evans Municipal Center: 8787 Erie Rd. Rt 5, Angola, NY 14006
- North Collins Police Department: 10543 Main Street, North Collins, NY 14111
- Bertrand Chaffee Hospital: 1540 Maple Road, Springville, NY 14141
- Mercy Ambulatory Center: 3669 Southwestern Blvd, Orchard Park, NY 14127
- Twin District Fire Department: 4999 William Street, Lancaster, NY 14086
- Hamburg Youth and Recreation Center: 4540 Southwestern Blvd., Hamburg, NY 14075
- Buffalo State College: 1300 Elmwood Avenue, Buffalo 14222
- Kenmore Mercy Hospital: 2950 Elmwood Avenue, Kenmore 14217
- Lackawanna Police Department: 714 Ridge Rd, Lackawanna 14218
- Millard Fillmore Hospital: 1540 Maple Road, Williamsville 14221
- West Seneca Senior Center: 4620 Seneca Street, West Seneca 14224
- Grand Island Town Hall: 2255 Baseline Road, Grand Island 14072
“National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day gives residents an excellent opportunity to get peace of mind by disposing of their unused or unneeded medications safely and preventing them from falling into the wrong hands or fouling our environment,” said County Executive Mark Poloncarz. “These medications may be sitting dormant in medicine cabinets, bathroom cupboards, or bedroom drawers but they can be a danger if not properly disposed of, and I thank the many partners who came together to support his Take Back Day and keep our community safer and healthier.”