The city of Dunkirk Police Department and WCA ALSTAR Ambulance in cooperation with the Federal Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) are coordinating a North County location for National Prescription Drug Drop Off Day on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m..

WCA ALSTAR Services has provided their North Headquarters for the drive in drop off location. ALSTAR North is located behind School 3 at Route 60 and Orchard Street in the City of Dunkirk. The prescriptions can be dropped off with no questions asked.

This is an important program because any unused or expired prescription medications are a public safety issue leading to accidental poisoning, overdose and abuse. In many States deaths from prescription drugs now exceed those from motor vehicle accidents with opiate painkillers like Vicodin, Percocet and Oxycontin leading to abuse. Recent reports show that the number of people seeking treatment for painkiller addiction had increased 400% within the last 10 years. Reports show that one in 10 12th-grade students used pharmaceutical narcotic pain killers for non medical use. The reports also show that the majority of the teenagers (62%) using prescription drugs got them from family and friends including from medicine cabinets in their own homes. Unintentional overdose deaths from prescription opioids increased 175% over a 5 year period. Recent reports note that there were 6.2 million Americans aged 12 years and older who abused prescription drugs within the past month with seven of the 10 most commonly abused drugs by teenagers being prescription medicine.

Proper disposal of unused or expired prescription drugs can eliminate temptation for abuse and the temptation for them to be stolen from a residence. The proper disposal also does not affect the environment which can happen if they are flushed into the sewer systems. Most importantly proper disposal can help lower the deaths rate related to overdose and abuse, especially in our children and young adults.

If you have parents or grandparents that you check with them as well to make sure they sort through any prescriptions they may have that are not needed or have expired. This will be a drive-in and drop-off with no questions asked.

Remember no Liquids or Sharps/Needles at the drop off location. Also remember that Liquids or Sharps/Needles cannot be put in our Drop Box at the Dunkirk Police Station either. These items cannot be disposed of with other prescriptions medications and they are a danger to our Officers who have to handle them and empty the drop box.