DEA's take back unused meds day is Saturday, though Long Island police precincts accept drop-offs 24/7
Residents drop off unused prescription drugs at the Port Washington Police Department as part of the DEA's National Drug Take Back Day. Credit: John Dunn
Have unwanted, unused or expired prescription meds?
Saturday is the Drug Enforcement Administration's National Drug Take Back Day, with police and other agencies collecting those medicines for safe disposal.
For those in the Town of Southampton, Southampton Town Police and the Police Explorers will be participating, with collection sites available between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.
The three collection sites are: Hampton Bays Community Center, 25 Ponquogue Ave.; Flanders Community Center, 655 Flanders Rd.; Southampton Town Police substation at Bridgehampton Commons, 2044 Montauk Hwy.
In Sayville, people can drop off expired or unused medications and capped safe needles at the Community Ambulance Company located at 420 Lakeland Ave., from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Although Nassau and Suffolk police are not participating in the National Drug Take Back Day, both agencies have drop-off locations for unwanted meds at their precincts.
In Suffolk, the drop-off boxes are part of Operation Medicine Cabinet, and those boxes are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, at its seven precincts.
The drop-off box locations at all eight Nassau precincts also are available 24/7, police said.
The service is free, Southampton Town Police said, although liquid medications, syringes, sharps containers and thermometers are not accepted as part of the program.
In a statement regarding the importance in disposing of unwanted and expired medications safely, Southampton Town Police said: "Unused medications that are not disposed of properly can wind up in the hands of our most vulnerable populations, and flushing medication will ultimately wind up in our aquifer and pollute our drinking water.
"Help keep our community safe and clean by turning in your unused medication."
At the Community Ambulance site there will be a Narcan station where people can learn how to recognize and respond to an opioid overdose by using intra-nasal Naloxone (Narcan). The Sayville location also will have a hands-only CPR station teaching the lifesaving skill, officials said.
Other places on Long Island that are participating in take back day include:
- Adelphi University Police, Adelphi University, One South Ave., Nexus Building, Garden City
- The City of Long Beach; it will take place behind City Hall, 1 West Chester St.
- Floral Park Police Department, 1 Floral Blvd., Floral Park
- Garden City Police Department, 349 Stewart Ave., Garden City
- Hempstead Police Department, 216 Washington St., Hempstead
- Lake Success Police, 15 Vanderbilt Dr., Lake Success
- Lynbrook Police Department, 1 Columbus Dr., Lynbrook
- Malverne Police Department, 1 Britton Circle, Malverne
- New York State Police, 7140 Republic Airport, Farmingdale
- Northport VA Police, 79 Middlevale Rd., Northport
- Sands Point Police Department, 26 Tibbits Ln., Sands Point
John Valenti, a reporter at Newsday since 1981, has been honored nationally by the Associated Press and Society of the Silurians for investigative, enterprise and breaking news reporting, as well as column writing, and is the author of “Swee'pea,” a book about former New York playground basketball star Lloyd Daniels. Valenti is featured in the Emmy Award-winning ESPN 30-for-30 film “Big Shot.”
