Press release:
The proper way to dispose of medications will be the focus of Thursday’s quarterly meeting of the GOW (Genesee-Orleans-Wyoming) Opioid Task Force.
The meeting will be livestreamed via Zoom, starting at 9:30 a.m. It is expected to last for an hour.
Scott Wilson, superintendent of the Orleans County Jail, has agreed to make a presentation on National Drug Take Back Day, which is scheduled for this Saturday, with locations in the three counties.
Wilson has worked closely with this event for the past few years. In his presentation, he will discuss the organization of these events, collection of medications and their proper disposal, and the impact this day has on our community.
This meeting is open to the public and the community is invited to join and share any questions they may have.
“With National Drug Take Back Day coming up on April 24th, we felt this would be a great topic to cover with the members of the Task Force and our community,” said Christen Ferraro, GOW Opioid Task Force coordinator.
Ferraro noted that prescription opioid misuse is an ongoing and escalating epidemic as 70 percent of opioid dependence, overdoses and deaths begin with leftover drugs in the medicine cabinet.
“It is important to help remove the risks that leftover medications pose to you, as well as your families and friends. With this meeting, we hope to increase awareness of safe disposal methods, as environmental studies have shown that flushed medications flow into our water supply and negatively impact the fish we eat and water we drink,” she added.
To access the meeting link, go to www.gowopioidtaskforce.org. Once registered, participants will receive a confirmation email with Zoom information and a link to join.
