Dunkirk, Jamestown Participating in National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day

Saturday is National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day, and Chautauqua County will once again have two participating drop-off locations -- Alstar North on Monroe Street in Dunkirk (pictured) and the Chautauqua Center on Institute Street in Jamestown. Hours at both sites will be 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM. Melanie Witkowski, Executive Director of Prevention Works, says residents can drop off any unused or unwanted prescription drugs anonymously, with no questions asked...

Melanie Witkowski: no questions asked

Witkowski says the DEA and its partner agencies who are involved in this program have collected more than 8,800 pounds of prescription drugs since 2017...

Melanie Witkowski: a lot of medication in households

According to recent reports, the number of people seeking treatment for painkiller addiction has grown by 400% within the last decade, and the majority of teenagers using prescription drugs got them from family and friends, including from medicine cabinets in their own homes. The Dunkirk drop-off location is being coordinated by the Dunkirk Police Department and Alstar Ambulance, in cooperation with the DEA.

File photo