More Than 400 Pounds Of Meds Collected At Bell-Mer Drug Takeback

The Bellmore-Merrick Central High School District, each of the four component districts, and the Community Parent Center, collected hundreds of pounds of medication at the sixth Drug Take-Back Day on Oct. 26 at the Grand Avenue Middle School.

“We were overwhelmed by the support that we received from our entire community for this event, where we collected over 400 pounds of medications for safe disposal along with over 250 pounds of sharps (syringes, Epi-pens, lancets),” said Wendy Tepfer, director of the Community Parent Center.

The Bellmore-Merrick Drug Take-Back Day was aimed at providing the community a safe, convenient and responsible way to dispose of unused, unwanted or expired prescriptions and over-the-counter medications.

“This initiative addressed a vital nationwide public safety and public health concern,” explained Tepfer. “More than 2,000 teens begin abusing prescription drugs each day. At the same time, drug addiction experts contend that abuse of narcotics, such as painkillers, are a gateway to illegal street drugs, such as heroin. The rates of prescription drug abuse in the U. S. are alarmingly high, as are the number of accidental poisonings and overdoses due to these drugs. The majority of abused prescription drugs are obtained from family and friends, including from the home medicine cabinets.”

Tepfer reminded the community to “keep all medications in a safe place: and if you are not using medicines make sure you dispose of them safely.”

“By working together, we can help combat this issue; protect our youth, our community and our environment,” she added.

Residents can dispose of their medications year-round at any Nassau County Police Precinct.