Newark Police to Participate in the 18th National Take Back Initiative – Saturday October 26th
On Saturday, October 26th, 2019, Newark Police will participate in the Drug Enforcement Administration’s National Prescription Drug Take Back Day initiative. Between the hours of 10:00 am and 2:00 pm, members of the public may surrender expired, unwanted, or unused pharmaceutical controlled substances and other medications to law enforcement officers for destruction. The event will occur in the Newark Police Department lobby located at 220 South Main Street, Newark.
The National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day aims to provide a safe, convenient, and responsible means of disposal, while also educating the general public about the potential for abuse of these medications. This one-day effort will bring national focus to the issue of pharmaceutical controlled substance abuse.
According to the DEA:
- Unused or expired prescription medications are a public safety issue, leading to accidental poisoning, overdose, and abuse.
- Pharmaceutical drugs can be just as dangerous as street drugs when taken without a prescription or a doctor’s supervision.
- The non-medical use of prescription drugs ranks second only to marijuana as the most common form of drug abuse in America.
- The majority of teenagers abusing prescription drugs get them from family and friends —and the home medicine cabinet.
- Unused prescription drugs thrown in the trash can be retrieved and abused or illegally sold. Unused drugs that are flushed contaminate the water supply. Proper disposal of unused drugs saves lives and protects the environment.
The program is anonymous and members of the public surrendering substances will not be asked for their name. During the event, controlled, non-controlled, and over the counter medications will be collected. In addition, liquid products and creams in their containers will also be accepted. Sharps and syringes will NOT be accepted due to the potential hazards posed by blood-borne pathogens.
For further information, visit DEATakeBack.com.
Newark Police Support the “Shine the Light” Campaign
October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month and the week of October 20th is “Shine the Light” on Domestic Violence week. To raise awareness around domestic violence, we can “Shine the Light” on the issue, and bring it out of the darkness. Buildings around the state will be lit-up purple all week as part of the campaign.
All this week, the City of Newark Municipal Building and Police Department will be covered with purple light to help bring awareness to this important cause.
Purple is the color chosen to represent the fight against domestic violence. The goal of the lights is to get everyone talking about “purple” as a way to discuss domestic violence, and to let victims know they’re not alone and that resources are available to them.
This Thursday, October 24th, is “wear purple” day to connect individuals across the country and to raise awareness about domestic violence.
In Delaware, domestic violence victims can contact the 24-hour domestic violence hotline at (302) 762-6110 or go to http://www.childinc.com.
The National domestic violence hotline, with a chat option, can be reached at 1-800-799-7233 or http://www.Thehotline.org.
The Newark Police Department Victim Services Coordinator, Ms. Melissa Pennachi, can be reached at (302) 366-7100 x. 3137 or mpennachi@newark.de.us.
University of Delaware students who are victims of domestic violence or sexual assault can reach the University of Delaware Sexual Offense Support advocate line at (302) 831-1001 option 1.
