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SCOTIA, New York-- The New York National Guard Soldiers and Airmen who work with local community anti-drug groups, focused in on drug abuse education and disposing of unneeded prescription pills during the last two weeks of October.
New York National Guard Counterdrug Task Force Drug Demand Reduction Outreach teams across the state supported the Drug Enforcement Agency’s Take Back Day on October 29th, and the agency’s Red Ribbon Week from October 23 to 31.
Take Back Day is a national effort by the Drug Enforcement Agency, or DEA, to work with local law enforcement and community groups collect unneeded prescription medications and dispose of them properly.
Red Ribbon Week is the DEA’s effort to educate people regarding the dangers of drugs. The week was launched to commemorate the death of DEA agent Enrique Camerena at the hands of Mexican drug dealers in 1985.
Soldiers and Airmen working on drug demand reduction, known as civil operators, work with local groups to help them organize effectively to reduce drug use in their communities, explained 1st Sgt. Dave You, the non-commissioned officer in charge of the Drug Demand Reduction Outreach effort.
For Red Ribbon Week and the drug Take Back Day, the civil operators helped plan and implement local events, You said.
This year, for the first time, the 16 Counterdrug Task Force civil operators also collaborated alongside several Air National Guard Drug Demand Reduction Outreach program managers at the five air wings across the state involving them in this national effort, You said.
In Tioga County, civil operators worked with local law enforcement to collect 136 pounds of unused prescription drugs, while in the Albany area, 4,128 pounds of unused drugs were turned in.
In Irondequoit, near the Rochester area, hundreds of pounds of unneeded drugs were turned in. The effort in Hempstead, Oceanside, and Long Beach on Long Island, also took in hundreds of pounds of unused prescriptions, according to You.
Along with collecting unneeded pills, the take back events also included an educational component on the proper ways to store drugs safely and to dispose of them, You said.
Dumping drugs in the garbage doesn’t mean somebody won’t fish them out, You said. And flushing them down the toilet can contaminate water supplies, he added.
Task Force Soldiers and Airmen organized a variety of events to mark Red Ribbon Week in local communities.
In Orange County red ribbons were tied around 100 trees across the county to call attention to the event.
In Lindenhurst on Long Island, the civil operators helped the youth group Lindy Cares put together goodie bags for elementary and middle school kids, that included a fact card for parents about Red Ribbon Week.
In Farmingdale, Soldiers and Airmen set up a unique event for Girl Scouts which highlighted an anti-drug message while teaching them Morse code.
And at Bayport Blue Point High School, Soldiers and Airmen assisted in a program educating high school peer leaders about Narcan, the drug used to treat and overdose.
The New York Air National Guard’s wings organized Red Ribbon themed events which included a “trunk or treat” event at the 106th Rescue Wing’s F.S. Gabreski Air National Guard Base in Westhampton Beach.
| Date Taken: | 11.21.2022 |
| Date Posted: | 11.21.2022 12:53 |
| Story ID: | 433668 |
| Location: | SCOTIA, NEW YORK, US |
| Web Views: | 225 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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