Thursday, October 1, 2026
Outside of Long Beach City Hall 128 pounds of unneeded prescription medications, including tablets, capsules, patches and other solid-form prescription drug were collected as part of the 28th annual Prescription Drug Take Back.
The Long Beach Police Department partnered with Long Beach Aware and the federal Drug Enforcement Agency on Oct. 25. Long Beach Aware was established out of the Coalition to Prevent Underage Drinking created by the Long Beach Medical Center in 2000. The coalition morphed into Long Beach Aware in 2013, the group is a state funded prevention provider under contract with Nassau County, which has with its partners worked to reduce substance abuse in the community.
Richard DePalma, Long Beach Police Department commissioner, expressed his gratitude for Saturday’s partnership, calling it a “safe and responsible” way to dispose of unused or expired prescription medications.
“By doing [this], we help prevent these drugs from falling into the wrong hands and protect our waterways and environment from contamination,” DePalma said of the preventative measure.
The collected drugs will be taken to a burn area near Republic Airport in Farmingdale — one of the many methods of disposal.
Take Back Day has been a DEA practice for more than a decade. Following a biannual collection schedule, the DEA has collected more than 6,800 tons of prescription drugs.
This past April, New Yorkers collectively discarded over 15,000 pounds of unneeded and unwanted drugs at over 4,500 collection sites statewide — a measure which aims to reduce addiction and stem overdose deaths.
Long Beach Aware was responsible for the first Social Host Law in New York State in 2006. The legislation that holds individuals responsible for providing alcohol to minors or intoxicated guests at private gatherings, making them liable for resulting injuries or damages.
Judi Vining, Long Beach Aware’s executive director, spoke on the importance of hosting these types of events as a way of shielding the youth from the poor decisions of their parents.
“If we can hold people accountable, we can protect the youth from making irresponsible decisions,” Vining said, highlighting a 40 percent chance of developing a problem with drugs and addiction when exposed at a young age.
Since the DEA’s first National Drug Take Back, members of communities nationwide have safely discarded 19 million pounds of drugs, with New York ranking fifth behind Texas, California, Wisconsin, and Ohio for the most collected.
“This effort brings together law enforcement, public health, and communities in a unified mission — keeping homes safe, preventing the misuse of prescription drugs before it starts, and saving lives,” DEA Administrator Terrance Cole said in a statement. “Every prescription drug turned in represents one less opportunity for tragedy and one more act of protection for our families and neighborhoods.”
For more information on Take Back Day or Long Beach Aware, visit DEA.gov/takebackday or LongBeachAware.org.
