Byrne Hosts Successful Shed the Meds Event in Northern Westchester

Posted: September 4, 2020 in Drug Crisis, Health, In the News, Public Safety
Assemblyman Kevin Byrne (R,C,Ref-Mahopac) was joined by(left to right) Liz Talbert, Alliance for Safe Kids; Yorktown Councilman Ed Lachterman; Byrne; Yorktown Supervisor Matt Slater; a Yorktown Police Officer; Westchester County Legislator Colin Smith; and Yorktown Police Chief Robert Noble for his Shed the Meds event on Thursday Sept. 3.

                 Assemblyman Kevin Byrne (R, C, Ref-Mahopac) is pleased to announce the success of his office’s annual Shed the Meds event in Northern Westchester where he teamed up with local partners like Drug Crisis in Our Backyard, the Alliance for Safe Kids, and the Yorktown Police department. The event, which took place on Thursday Sept. 3, collected over 200 pounds of unwanted and expired medications to be disposed of by the Yorktown Police Department.

“The support we continue to receive from the community at these events is remarkable and has led to the safe disposal of upwards of 200 pounds of unwanted medications,” said Byrne. “Flushing unwanted or expired medications down the toilet can lead to contamination of our water supply. It’s also important to remove these types of drugs from our medicine cabinets in order to limit access for those who may misuse them. Thank you to all our local partners and neighbors for their continued participation and support”

“Thank you, Assemblyman Byrne, for organizing this event that benefits so many in our community,” said Liz Talbert from the Alliance for Safe Kids. “Many in the community could not properly dispose of their meds because of the COVID-19 pandemic. This is a wonderful opportunity for people to help the opioid epidemic. This is a step in the right direction when it comes to the safety of our kids.”

Byrne has continued this annual event, following the tradition first set by his former colleague, Sen. Terrence Murphy. Shed the Meds has since become a popular event throughout the area, with high participation from Hudson Valley residents.

“We are glad Assemblyman Byrne continues to support these events in our community” said Yorktown Supervisor Matt Slater. “We are the first community in Westchester County to partner with Hope Not Handcuffs, which provides a safe haven at the Yorktown Police Department for people struggling with substance abuse. This program creates a pathway for people who are struggling to seek help.”

            Since elected, Byrne has also successfully advocated for stronger state policies like eliminating required pre-authorization for Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT) and passage of the “Drug Take Back Act” (Chap. 120 of 2018). He also continues to push for support of drug treatment courts, increasing the number of days covered for in-patient and out-patient substance abuse treatment (A.3041) and increasing penalties on profit-making drug traffickers whose sales lead to the death of people suffering from addiction (A.3902).

Assemblyman Kevin Byrne is the ranking member of the Assembly Health Committee and represents the 94th Assembly District, including portions of Westchester and Putnam counties.