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caption:
Take Back
Romeo Blackmar of Hale YMCA prevention, Putnam auxiliary officer Thom Tercjak and Putnam Police Captain Justin Lussier manned the Prescription Drug Take Back at the Riverview Pavilion off Kennedy Drive. Linda Lemmon photo.
Drug Take
Back a success
By Linda Lemmon
Town Crier Editor
PUTNAM — Including the drop-off bin in the Putnam Police Department’s foyer, the latest national Prescription Take Back Day April 30 took in almost 600 pounds of unwanted prescription drugs.
Police Captain Justin D. Lussier said the drive-thru Take Back event at the Riverview Pavilion took in about 100 pounds. He estimated that some 75 cars came through. Since the last Take Back event last October, the foyer box at the police department has taken in 490 pounds. It’s available 24/7/365, no questions asked.
Lussier said that the 100 pounds “is on par with what we normally do.”
Romeo Blackmar, Substance Abuse program director at the Hale YMCA Youth and Family Center, said the program has always been affiliated with the police department.
Lussier said “The Putnam Police Department is happy to partner with the Y to provide this service to our community. The fact that the community members regularly use this service, both the drop box and take back events, shows there is a need for it. It also shows that the communities understand that by simply using this service they are helping protect the community — this keeps potentially dangerous drugs out of the hands of those who may use them inappropriately.” He added, “We very often hear people expressing their gratitude for this service because they have medications they have held on to simply because they didn’t know what to do with them.”
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