Residents have dropped off 6K pounds of prescription drugs in Orleans since 2012
Take-back events deemed a success; year-round collection boxes available
Photo by Tom Rivers: Scott Wilson, Orleans County jail superintendent and coordinator of the National Prescription Take-Back initiative in Orleans County, said the county’s prescription drug take-back events have been a success the past six years, resulting in more than 6,000 pounds of unused prescriptions being dropped off at sites in Holley, Albion and Medina. He presented information today from recent take-back events. (The DEA no longer wants a participant count.)
ALBION – Orleans County had more prescription drugs dropped off on April 28 as part of a National Prescription Take-Back initiative than many other nearby similar-size counties.
The event on April 28 resulted in residents dropping off 644 pounds at three locations in Orleans County, with 387 pounds at the Orleans County Public Safety Building in Albion, 205 pounds at the Medina Fire Department, and 72 collected at the Holley Fire Department.
There were 8,347 pounds collected from 8 Western New York counties, including 627 from Allegany, 548 from Cattaraugus, 995 from Chautauqua, 3,186 from Erie, 530 from Genesee, 549 from Niagara, 664 from Orleans and 75 from Wyoming.
Scott Wilson, the county jail superintendent and coordinator of the take-back event in Orleans, said the events are well publicized in Orleans through the local media and advertisements by the Orleans United Drug Free Communities Coalition.
The take-back events are a collaborative effort with the U.S. Department of Justice – Drug Enforcement Administration, the Orleans County Health Department and the Genesee/Orleans Council on Alcoholism & Substance Abuse.
The events are an opportunity for the public to surrender unwanted and/or expired medications for safe and proper disposal. Sheriff Randy Bower said the events have dramatically reduced the risk of prescription drug diversion and abuse, taking thousands of pounds of prescription drugs out of the community.
There are collection boxes available year-round at the Public Safety Building, and Albion, Holley and Medina police departments, during regular business hours. The Public Safety Building and Medina Police Department also collect sharps.
