Residents across the Finger Lakes will have multiple opportunities to safely dispose of unused and expired medications during coordinated take-back events later this month.
The Cayuga County Sheriff’s Office, in partnership with the Owasco Fire Department, will host a drive-through collection event on Saturday, April 25, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 7174 Owasco Road in the town of Owasco.
A separate event will be held the same day in Yates County, where the Sheriff’s Office is again partnering with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration for a drop-off site at the rear of the Yates County Courthouse, 415 Liberty Street in Penn Yan, also from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Both events are part of the DEA’s National Prescription Drug Take Back Day and are designed to provide residents with a safe, convenient way to dispose of medications that could otherwise be misused or improperly discarded.
Officials say the events will operate as drive-throughs, allowing participants to remain in their vehicles while dropping off medications anonymously and free of charge. Items such as needles, sharps, liquids, and illicit substances will not be accepted.
Sheriff’s officials say the initiative is critical to reducing prescription drug misuse, theft, and environmental harm caused by flushing medications or disposing of them improperly. In Yates County, authorities also noted that a permanent drug drop box is available at the Public Safety Building in Penn Yan 24 hours a day for year-round disposal.
Residents are encouraged to clean out their medicine cabinets and take advantage of the free events, which are part of a nationwide effort to improve public safety and health.
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