Prescription drug kiosk open at police dept.

Hamilton Area Community Coalition: Prescription drugs can now be dropped off at the Hamilton Police Department

HAMILTON, N.Y. » The Hamilton Area Community Coalition and the Hamilton Police Department opened Hamilton’s newp rescription drug disposal dropbox in the front entrance of the Hamilton Police Department, 5121 Wings Way, Hamilton.

The dropbox is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

HACC hosted a ribbon cutting ceremony to celebrate the opening, which included gusts Congresswoman Claudia Tenney, R-22, a staffmember from Assemblyman Bill Magee’s office, and Mayor RuthAnn Loveless; as well as Hamilton Police Chief Shawn Stassi; SOMAC Director of Operations Kyle Sylvester; National Guard Counterdrug Task Force SPC Josh Banick; HACC Program Coordinator Melissa Cassulis; Hamilton Police Sgt. Matt Janczuk; Hamilton Police Officer MichaelMordus Jr.;Letta Palmer, Colgate Campus Safety; Rev. Taylor Jackson; and Susan Figueroa.

The project started in October as a conversation between Banick and Janczuk.

“I asked Sgt. Janczuk if Hamilton had ever considered opening a dropbox,” said Bannick, “And it just got the ball rolling from there.”

The men, both members of the HACC, met at Hamilton Central School while they waited to

take the stage for a Red Ribbon Week drug prevention assembly organized by the group. A few weeks later, the HACC and Hamilton Police Department ordered the dropbox through the New York State Health Department. More than 10 months later, the box is securely installed and ready to collect excess medication in the community.

“People often see headlines about the opioid epidemic, and wonder what they can do. This is what we can do,” said Cassulis. “Removing excess medicine from your home is the most effective way to reduce prescription drug and opioid misuse. It may seem like a small thing, but the most common access point for those misusing these substances is the home medicine cabinet.”

Tenney attended the opening, representing the partnership between the federal government and the work of the HACC.

“The HACC is funded under a federal Drug Free Communities (DFC) grant, which is approved annually by Congress,” said Cassulis. “The DFC model has been recognized nationally as so successful in reducing youth substance abuse, that not only did Congress re-approve funding for the program, this year they also increased the funding, allowing even more communities like ours to benefit from local prevention initiatives. The HACC thanks Rep. Ten- ney for the continued bi-partisan congressional support of the Drug Free Communities program.”

Along with reducing access to prescription medication, responsible medicine disposal also significantly reduces the risk of accidental poisoning and prevents environmental contamination. The new dropbox will provide a full-time and convenient disposal option, a longstanding need in the Hamilton community.

For more information on prescription drug safety, visit hamiltoncoalition.com or follow the HACC on Facebook.com/HamiltonAreaCommunityCoalition.

PHOTOS COURTESY HAMILTON AREA COMMUNITY COALITION Representatives from the Hamilton Police Department; Hamilton Area clergy; Hamilton Area Community Coalition; National Guard Counterdrug Task Force; Congresswoman Claudia Tenney, R-22; NY Assemblyman Bill Magee’s office; SOMAC; Colgate University Campus Safety; Hamilton Village Board; and Hamilton area parents gather to unveil a new prescription drug dropbox at the Hamilton Police Department.

SPC. Josh Banick, National Guard Counterdrug Task Force; Kyle Sylvester, SOMAC Director of Operations; Hamilton Mayor RuthAnn Loveless; Melissa Cassulis, HACC Program Coordinator; Sgt. Matt Janczuk; Chief Shawn Stassi; Congresswoman Claudia Tenney, R-22; and OFC. Michael Mordus Jr. unveil a new prescription drug dropbox at the Hamilton Police Department.

PHOTO COURTESY HAMILTON AREA COMMUNITY COALITION A new prescription drug dropbox at the Hamilton Police Department.