Adelphi is the First University in New York State Designated as a Site for National Take-Back Drug Day

The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has scheduled National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day to take place on Saturday, October 29, 2011, from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., for people to properly dispose of unwanted and unused prescription drugs; no questions asked. Adelphi University has been selected to be one of the official drug take-back sites. Adelphi is the first college or university in New York State to receive this designation. A drop off box will be located in the Ruth S. Harley University Center parking lot under the tent. The initiative addresses a vital public safety and public health issue. More than seven million Americans currently abuse prescription drugs, according to the 2009 Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s National Survey on Drug Use and Health. The Take Back Drug Day is open to the community.

Gil Kerlikowske, the director of National Drug Control Policy said, “Responding to our nation’s prescription drug abuse epidemic requires a sustained effort from government, the private sector, the medical community, as well as families and individuals.” The rate of prescription drug abuse in the United States is extremely high and studies show that teens who abuse prescription drugs often obtain them from family and friends due to easy access to home medicine cabinets. In addition, many Americans do not know how to properly dispose of their unused medicine, as they often flush them down the toilet or throw them away—both potential safety and health hazards.

The DEA in conjunction with state and local law enforcement agencies throughout the United States conducted National Prescription Drug Take Back Days on Saturday, September 25, 2010 and April 25, 2011. Nearly, 4,000 state and local law enforcement agencies throughout the nation participated in these events, collecting more than 309 tons of pills.

Take-Back events are a significant part of the White House’s prescription drug abuse prevention strategy released by the Office of National Drug Control Police. Eliminating America’s home medicine cabinets of neglected drugs is one of four strategies for reducing prescription drug abuse and diversion. The other strategies include education of health care providers, patients, parents and youth; establishing prescription drug monitoring programs in all the states; and increased enforcement to address doctor shopping and pill mills. In the past, numerous national organizations have joined the DEA and its state and local partners in implementing Take Back Drug Day, including the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy; the Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America; United States Health Resources and Services Administration; the National Family Partnership; and the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy; among others.

For more information, please contact Greta Tiberia, LMSW, drug and alcohol counselor in the Student Counseling Center, at 516-877-3769 or gtiberia@adelphi.edu.

About Adelphi University: Adelphi is a world class, modern university with excellent and highly relevant programs where students prepare for lives of active citizenship and professional careers. Through its schools and programs—The College of Arts and Sciences, Derner Institute of Advanced Psychological Studies, Honors College, Ruth S. Ammon School of Education, University College, and the Schools of Business, Nursing, and Social Work—the co-educational university offers undergraduate and graduate degrees as well as professional and educational programs for adults. Adelphi University currently enrolls nearly 8,000 students from 41 states and 60 foreign countries. With its main campus in Garden City and centers in Manhattan, Hauppauge, and Poughkeepsie, the University chartered in 1896, maintains a commitment to liberal studies in tandem with rigorous professional preparation and active citizenship.

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Garden City, NY 11530

This release was published on openPR.