EXMORE, VA (July 21, 2017) – Exmore Police Chief Angelo DiMartino announced today that the Exmore Town Hall has been designated as one of two official drug drop-off locations in Northampton County, dedicated to the safe disposal of unused and expired medications.
Anyone wanting to clear their medicine cabinet and home can bring unused or outdated medications to the lobby of the Exmore Town Hall during regular business hours, 9 am to 5 pm, Monday through Friday, and drop the drugs in the “Safe Medication Disposal Bin”. This includes the full range of prescription and over-the-counter medications, from pain killers and antibiotics to cold medicines and diet pills.
“Improper disposal of medications can create problems for the environment as well as for people,” according to Chief DiMartino who is spearheading the program for Exmore. “”When you flush antibiotics, mood enhancers or other drugs down the toilet, they eventually end up in the waste water treatment facility and disrupt the treatment process by killing the bacteria in the plant. If left in the medicine cabinet, they can end up in the wrong hands. Our drop-off box ensures the safe, correct disposal of all drugs.”
This initiative, now underway for the community through the Exmore Police Department, is in partnership with Rite-Aid Foundation and KidCents “Safe Medication Disposal” Program, created to protect young people.
Chief DiMartino points out that in the U.S., approximately 60,000 children a year are treated in hospital emergency rooms for drug poisoning incidents involving prescription or over-the-counter (OTC) medications kept in the home. Child-proof caps and medicine cabinets rarely offer adequate protection for curious children, says DiMartino. “According to a report by Safe Kids Worldwide, about half of the children poisoned by OTC medications each year climbed over obstacles to reach the drugs,” he says. “And roughly 45% to 55% of reported incidents involve drugs with child-resistant packaging. The only true way to protect our kids is to get the medications out of the home as soon as they are no longer needed.”
The Town Hall is located at 3305 Main Street in downtown Exmore. A second drop-off point for Northampton County residents is the Northampton County Sheriff’s office. For more details, contact the Exmore Police Department or visit the Town of Exmore’s website at www.exmore.org. You can also follow the Exmore Police Department on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/ExmorePoliceDepartment/.
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