June 1st STOP Day Will Include Medication Take Back Event
The Riverhead Community Coalition for Safe and Drug-Free Youth is hosting a medication take back event during the Town’s June 1st STOP DAY. Community members can safely dispose of their expired, unwanted and unused medication. The event takes place at the Riverhead Highway Yard (1177 Osborn Ave.) from 8 AM to 3 PM.
The Riverhead Police Department will also be present to collect medication at this take back event. All medication is accepted as long as it is properly sealed. In addition, the event offers the convenience of drive-up medication disposal and includes giveaways for the participants.
preventing Rx and Heroin Addiction
Prescription drug abuse is the fastest growing drug problem in the United States, especially among teens. The CDC reports that one in five teens say they have taken prescription drugs without a doctor’s prescription. Each day more than 2,000 teens use prescription drugs to get high for the first time.
The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) found that nearly half of young people who inject heroin reported abusing prescription painkillers before starting to use heroin. Some individuals reported taking up heroin because it is cheaper and easier to obtain than prescription drugs. In addition, more people die from prescription drug overdoses than from all illegal drugs combined. Drug overdoses are now the leading cause of accidental death in the U.S., outnumbering highway traffic fatalities.
over 6,000 pounds collected
To date, we have collected over 6,000 pounds of medication through the combination of take back events and the permanent drop box. In August 2014, the Riverhead Police Department installed a permanent drop box in their lobby at 210 Howell Avenue. Community members use the drop box to safely and conveniently dispose of unused, unwanted, and expired medication 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
STOP DAY (STOP THROWING OUT POLLUTANTS)
Community members can also dispose of household chemicals and electronics at the June 1st STOP Day. This area of the event is open to Riverhead residents only. For more information, contact the Town of Riverhead at 631-727-3200 ext. 391 or click here.
about the coalition
The mission of the Riverhead Community Coalition for Safe and Drug-Free Youth is to engage collaborative partners in the planning, implementation and evaluation of strategies that prevent youth substance use. In 2013 and again in 2018, the coalition was awarded a Drug-Free Communities (DFC) Support Grant through the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP). For more information about the coalition, or to participate, please call Riverhead CAP at (631) 727-3722.
