FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, April 19, 2023
Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez to
Host Prescription Drug Take Back
Safe, Convenient Way to Dispose of Expired and Unused
Prescription Drugs Will Be Provided in 13 Brooklyn Locations
Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez today announced that, together with the New York City Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration’s New York Division, his Office will host a Prescription Drug Give Back on Friday, April 21, 2023, between 9:30 a.m. and 4 p.m. The initiative, held one day before the DEA’s National Prescription Drug Take Back Day, will provide a safe, convenient, and responsible means of disposing of prescription drugs, while educating the public about the potential for abuse of medications.
District Attorney Gonzalez said, “Unused prescription medications can fall into the hands of children or get stolen and sold to those who misuse drugs. It is essential to safely dispose of these medications as a measure to help prevent opioid addiction before it begins, which is why we have partnered for the first Rx Take Back in Brooklyn. On Friday, across 13 locations throughout the borough, residents are encouraged to turn in expired and unused prescription drugs in a way that doesn’t impact our environment and makes us all safer and healthier.”
NYPD Commissioner Keechant L. Sewell said, “Events like these are an important part of the NYPD and our law enforcement partners’ efforts to fight the nationwide overdose epidemic and save lives. We encourage everyone – across Brooklyn, and across New York City as a whole – to share the responsibility for public safety by properly disposing of unneeded prescription medications. This is how we will continue to keep all of our communities safe.”
DEA Special Agent in Charge Frank A. Tarentino III said, “For more than a decade DEA has helped Americans rid their homes of old, unwanted, or expired medications at our National Prescription Drug Take Back Day. I applaud our partners at the Brooklyn District Attorney’s Office and the New York City Police Department for their efforts to expand this program within the communities they serve. The DEA New York Division is pleased to partner with Brooklyn District Attorney’s Office and New York City Police Department in this preventative effort to safeguard homes from prescription drug misuse.”
The District Attorney said that, according to a National Survey on Drug Use and Health, more than 11.5 million people age 12 and older misuse a prescription pain reliever each year. More than 40 percent of those drugs are obtained from friends and family members – typically without their knowledge. National Prescription Drug Take Back Day is aimed at addressing this issue while providing education about the danger of misuse of prescribed medication.
On Friday, April 21, between 9:30 a.m. and 4 p.m., safe drop off sites for expired and unused medication will be available to the public throughout Brooklyn, no questions asked. The 13 locations, including the lobby of the DA’s Office, community centers, senior centers and churches, will be staffed with uniformed officers and include educational literature. The full list of locations is available in the attached flyer.
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