The City of Dunkirk Police Department and WCA ALSTAR Ambulance, in cooperation with the Federal Drug Enforcement Agency, are coordinating a North County location for National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day on Saturday, April 26, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

WCA ALSTAR Services has again graciously provided their North Headquarters for the drive-in drop-off location. ALSTAR North is located behind School # 3 at Rt. 60 and Orchard Street in the City of Dunkirk. Prescriptions can be dropped off without question.

This is a very important program because any unused or expired prescription medications are a public safety issue, leading to accidental poisoning, overdose, and misuse. In many States, deaths from Prescription drugs now exceed those from motor vehicle accidents, with opiate painkillers like Vicodin, Percocet, and OxyContin leading to misuse. Recent reports show that the number of people seeking treatment for painkiller addiction has increased by 400 % within the last 10 years. Reports show that one in 10 12th-grade students used pharmaceutical narcotic painkillers for nonmedical 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 by 175% over 5 years. Recent reports note that there were 6.2 million Americans aged 12 years and older who misused prescription drugs within the past month, with 7 of the 10 most commonly misused drugs by teenagers being prescription medicines.

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

Please take the time to empty your shelves and cabinets of unused and expired prescription drugs and bring them to the drop-off point at ALSTAR Ambulance behind School # 3 at Rt. 60 and Orchard Street in Dunkirk on Saturday, April 26, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Also, if you have parents or grandparents, check with them to ensure they sort through any prescriptions they may have that are not needed or expired. Again, this will be a drive-in and drop-off with no questions asked.

Please remember that liquids and sharps/needles are prohibited at the take-back location and cannot be put in the Police Station’s drop box. These items cannot be disposed of with other prescription medications and are a danger to our Officers who must handle them and empty the drop box.

For more information on medication safety and for free resources, such as medication lock bags and drug disposal bags, please reach out to Jamison Jaffray at the HOPE Chautauqua Coalition at (716) 366-4623 or (716) 664-3608 or email jamison@preventionworks.us.