Attendees at National Take-Back Day in West Hartford on April 27, 2024 will not only be able to safely get rid of unwanted drugs, but will also have the opportunity engage in various training activities.

By Ronni Newton

National Take-Back Day will be held at the West Hartford Town Hall parking lot on April 27, 2024, but this spring’s event will be so much more than just an opportunity to dispose of unwanted medications with activities designed for people of all ages, including training for parents on identifying teen drug use and vaping.

“This year’s Take Back Day offers so much more, Said Gretchen Levitz, prevention coordinator with West Hartford Social Services. “Drop off your drugs, park your car, and get out and explore all the special events happening on April 27, including Touch A Truck, Hidden in Plain Sight simulator trailer, and a lot of great information from prevention and safety experts.”

The West Hartford-Bloomfield Health District, along with the West Hartford Police Department, will be collecting expired, unwanted, or unused pharmaceutical controlled substances and other medication from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Town Hall parking lot, and will dispose of them in an environmentally safe manner. Incorrect disposal – including flushing medications down the toilet – can lead to the contamination of waterways and other methods may also cause a risk to public health.

Volunteers will be on hand to accept items directly from people in their vehicles through the anonymous program. Prescription and over-the-counter medications such as tablets, vaping products, and liquids can be accepted, but intravenous solutions, injectable medicines, Epi-pens, and needles cannot be accepted through this program.

West Hartford’s first responders from the police and fire departments, and representatives from the town’s Community Emergency Response Team (CERT), along with Change the Script for Drug-Free CT, and the West Hartford Substance Abuse Prevention Council will be participating in the day’s activities.

There will be a chance for attendees to “Touch a Truck” – including a fire truck, a police SWAT vehicle, a snow plow truck, and the CERT Support Unit.

Parents, or any adults, ages 23 and up, are encouraged to participate in the “Hidden in Plain Sight” demonstration activity, sponsored by Alex’s Army/The Alex Fisher Foundation. According to organizers, Hidden in Plain Sight teaches parents, teachers, and other adults how to identify when vaping and drug use is taking place, anyhow to spot vaping and drug paraphernalia inside a 20-foot trailer designed to look like a teen’s bedroom.

Also taking place on Take-Back Day, the statewide campaign “Change the Script,” which has a goal of rewriting the narrative around prescription drug misuse and prevent overdoses in Connecticut, will be distributing useful tools and information to attendees including drug disposal pouches, medication lock boxes, and educational materials on substance use and mental health disorders, prevention and health topics, and promotional materials.

Training on the administration of Narcan will also be provided to those interested.

Additional information about prevention and community services will be distributed by the town’s Department of Social Services, the Health District, and the West Hartford Library.

Social Services/Prevention, West Hartford-Bloomfield Health District, and the West Hartford Library will distribute information regarding prevention and community services for all ages.

Take-Back Day will take place on Saturday, April 27, 2024, rain or shine, from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m., and the event is free of charge.

For more information, contact the Health District at 860-561-7900 or the West Hartford Police Department at 860-523-5203.

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