Prescription Drug Take-Back Event Slated

Hampden District Attorney Anthony Gulluni, Hampden County Sheriff Nick Cocchi, and Holyoke Mall General Manager Bill Rogalski will kick-off a day-long prescription drug take-back at the Holyoke Mall today

The collection will take place outside Sears on the lower level of the mall between 10 a.m. and 7 p.m.

The District Attorney’s Office, Sheriff’s Department, and Holyoke Mall have partnered collaboratively to provide a safe and secure means at a centralized location for residents in Hampden County to dispose of any unwanted or unused medications.

“As we in law enforcement continue to fight on the front lines against opiate abuse and addiction, we look to attack the problem at every angle; as a result, we are working together with Sheriff Cocchi and the Holyoke Mall on this initiative,” said Gulluni. “Providing a responsible means to discard medications from our bathroom cabinets and kitchen cupboards to ensure that they do not fall into the hands of those for whom they are not intended and prevent a potential path towards abuse.”

Said Cocchi, “I’m proud of our partnership with DA Gulluni in this very important drug take-back program. We have a very tight, secure process with detailed checks and balances. My staff picks up these unwanted, dangerous medicines and delivers them to the facility in Agawam to be destroyed so they can no longer remain a danger to the community.”

Rogalski said his facility was proud to be part of the initiative. “The opioid epidemic has touched so many lives within our community and we want to help in the fight any way possible,” he said.

This event corresponds to the effort both Gulluni and Cocchi have made since announcing the Hampden County Prescription Drug Return System last September. The medical return boxes are monitored by the respective host law enforcement agency. The Hampden County Sheriff’s Department picks up the deposited medications and transports them to Covanta in Agawam where the unwanted medications are incinerated.

Residents are reminded to utilize these return locations if they were unable to attend today’s event. Locations of the prescription medicine return boxes are as follows.

Agawam Police Department, 681 Springfield St.;

Chicopee Police Department, 110 Church St.;

East Longmeadow Police Department, 160 Somers Road;

Hampden Police Department, 100 Allen St.;

Longmeadow Police Department, 34 Williams St.;

Ludlow Police Department, 612 Chapin St.;

Monson Police Department, 110 Main St.;

Palmer Police Department, 4419 Main St.

Southwick Police Department, 11 Depot St.;

Westfield Police Department, 15 Washington St.;

West Springfield Police Department, 26 Central St. #22;

Wilbraham Police Department, 16 Main St.;

Hampden County House of Correction, 627 Randall Road, Ludlow;

Western Mass. Regional Women’s Correctional Center, 701 Center St., Chicopee.