Sullivan County District Attorney Brian Conaty and Fallsburg Police Chief Brendan Pavese
Monticello, NY - Brian P. Conaty, District Attorney of Sullivan County, would like to remind the public about Sullivan County’s Drug Take Back (DTB) Program, as the Co-Chair of the Sullivan County Drug Task Force.
Members of the public have an opportunity to prevent pill abuse and theft by dropping off potentially dangerous expired, unused, and unwanted prescription drugs in the drop boxes at the Village of Liberty Police Department, Village of Monticello Police Department, Town of Fallsburg Police Department, and the Sullivan County Department of Social Services, along with local pharmacies. Participating pharmacies can be located using the provided QR code. This free and anonymous service is offered through partnership with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), NYS Department of Health and Sullivan County Public Health Department.
Medicines that languish in home cabinets are highly susceptible to diversion, misuse, and abuse. Studies show that a majority of abused prescription drugs are obtained from family and friends, including from the home medicine cabinet. In addition, Americans are now advised that their usual methods for disposing of unused medicines—flushing them down the toilet or throwing them in the trash—both pose potential safety and health hazards.
According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIH), after marijuana, prescription and over-the-counter medications account for most of the commonly abused drugs. Unintentional overdose deaths involving prescription opioids have quadrupled since 1999, surpassing those involving heroin and cocaine by 2007.
Conaty said: “As District Attorney, I have made a consistent effort to fight opioid addiction within our County whether it be through our partnership with Hope Not Handcuffs funded by our COSSAP grant, our County Drug Task Force, or our County Take Back Program, myself and my staff are working hard to lead the fight against opioid use. The efforts have led to the reduction in overdose deaths involving opioids, synthetic opioids, hospitalization involving opioids and hospitalizations involving opioid-related overdoses as well as outpatient emergency department visits involving opioid overdoses. As we all know, any overdose or hospitalization due to opioids is one too many and my office will continue to fight the opioid epidemic.”
Chief Brendan Pavese, of the Town of Fallsburg Police Department, continues to work alongside DA Conaty and all of the local police agencies in combating the opioid epidemic.
Pavese said: “The drop box located at the Town of Fallsburg Police Department is available to the public twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week ensuring residents can responsibly dispose of medications at their convenience. This initiative is part of this Department’s commitment to combating prescription drug abuse, preventing accidental poisoning, and protecting the environment by keeping medications out of the water supply. Too often, unused medications sit forgotten in medicine cabinets where they can fall into the wrong hands or be misused. This drop box gives our residents a safe, convenient, and responsible way to dispose of these substances while helping us reduce the risks associated with prescription drug abuse in our community.”
The Take Back Program, just in this last year, has collected 360 pounds of pills through the County Take Back Program. This is a reminder that EVERY DAY IS TAKE BACK DAY!
