For Immediate Release Media Contacts: Collin Nash and Sid Nathan
September 8, 2011 (516) 869-7794
The Wheatley School, in Partnership with the Town of North Hempstead, Hosts Drug Take-Back Event
East Williston, NY—As the population of young people said to be abusing prescription drugs climb to alarming heights, Supervisor Jon Kaiman, Councilman Tom Dwyer and the Town Board announce that North Hempstead is taking its highly successful pharmaceutical take-back program on the road, making stops at high school campuses across the town.
Joining with the nine of the eleven school districts participating in North Hempstead’s comprehensive School Recycling Partnership program, the Town will host a series of pharmaceutical collection programs.
The fourth event kicks off Saturday September 24th from 9:30 am to 3:00 pm at The Wheatley School, 100 Bacon Rd., East Williston
“With prescription drug abuse on the rise, we urge all residents to go through their home medicine cabinets and take advantage of this opportunity to safely dispose of their unwanted and expired prescription drugs at our drop off locations,” Supervisor Kaiman said.
Abuse of prescription drugs to get high has become increasingly prevalent among teens and young adults. Past year abuse of prescription pain killers now ranks second—only behind marijuana—as the Nation's most prevalent illegal drug problem.
At the same time, drug addiction experts contend that abuse of narcotics such as painkillers are a gateway to illegal street drugs such as heroin. Observers point to developments such as a recent spate of gun-point holdups—one of which claimed four lives—at area pharmacies which were robbed of prescription drugs as an indication of the seriousness of prescription drug abuse.
In the fall of 2009, the Town of North Hempstead became first municipality in Nassau County to host a drug disposal event.
Since the program began, which is conducted in partnership with Nassau County Police Department, it has netted in excess of 2 tons of unwanted pharmaceuticals and each event has seen staggering increases in the collection of narcotics.
The Town hosts Pharmaceutical Collection Events four times a year during the Town’s Stop Throwing Out Pollutants (STOP) program.
Call 311 for information about upcoming pharmaceutical take-back events.
Be sure to stay connected to North Hempstead via Facebook: www.facebook.com/townofnorthhempstead