National Drug Take Back Day Set For Seven Broome County Locations

Do you have unused, unwanted, or expired medications in your home? Not sure what to do with them. Well, you are in luck.

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Saturday, October 28th is National Prescription Drug Take Back Day at various locations across the USA. Broome County will have several places to drop off your prescription drugs.

Broome County has announced in Binghamton, that National Take Back Day, will be held at Otsiningo Park’s West Parking Lot from 9:00 a.m. to 12 Noon. You can drop off both prescription and over-the-counter medications, including pills, patches, and liquids.

The Southern Tier AIDS Program will be at the event to collect home-generated needles and sharps. Bring them in accepted containers, including sharps containers or other sealed plastic containers (such as laundry detergent containers).

Also, Deterra Drug Deactivation bags and Medication Lock Boxes will be available for free while supplies last. These bags are for persons needing to dispose of medications safely and conveniently at home.

The Broome County Sheriff's Office along with local organizations and Fire Departments are also participating in National Prescription Drug Take Back Day.

The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration notes that unused and expired prescriptions are a public safety issue that can lead to accidental poisoning, overdose, and abuse. You may think throwing them into the trash or flushing them down the toilet are the best ways of disposing of those drugs, but it is not.

Jillian Beloch, Project Manager for the HEALing Communities Study in Broome County adds that drugs tossed out in the garbage can easily be retrieved and sold illegally. Flushing drugs down the toilet has been found to contaminate water systems, and throwing them away increases the risk of potentially being found and
misused.

Medication safety is an essential part of keeping the home and loved ones safe. By ridding homes of potentially harmful medications, the risk of possible misuse or poisoning is decreased. It is highly recommended that parents and caregivers take this time to talk about medication safety with all children and teens living in the home.  Medications, both over-the-counter and prescription, account for 3 out of the 5 top reasons people call the Upstate Poison Center about potential poisonings. -  Maria Fabrizi, Coordinator of the Prevention Coalition of Broome County