RyeCity REVIEW THE
October 29, 2021 | Vol. 9, Number 41 | www.ryecityreview.com
Westchester joins in Drug Take Back Day
‘Bo’Knows! Rye Freshman Bowyn Brown celebrates the go-ahead goal against Byram Hills in the Garnets’ Class A quarterfinal battle against Byram Hills on Oct. 22, 2021. The Garnets and Bobcats were scoreless until Brown found the net in the 71st minute. For story, see page 16. Photo/Mike Smith
County Health Department raises awareness about lead exposure County Executive George Latimer reminds residents to take steps now to assure children are protected from the harmful effects of lead exposure in their own homes. “I encourage all families to talk to their child’s healthcare provider to assess their child’s risk and need for lead exposure testing and to assure your home is safe for children by identifying and safely removing sources of lead to prevent further exposure,” Latimer said. The county Health Department
recognizes National Lead Poisoning Prevention Week as an opportunity to raise awareness in an effort to reduce childhood exposure to lead. Lead is a toxic mineral that can cause damage to the brain and other vital organs as well as decreased learning and behavior problems. All children, from six months to six years old, should have a lead assessment annually by their medical provider, and by New York State law, all children who are one and two years old must receive a blood lead test.
From Oct. 1, 2020 through Sept. 30, 2021, 217 children were identified as having been exposed to lead, up from 198 during the prior 12 months. During the past 12 months, the Department has discharged 144 individuals, which means their blood lead level has returned to normal and their environment has been made lead-safe. The county Health Department is currently tracking 297 individuals with lead exposure. To protect Westchester’s youngest residents, the county
Health Department also works to reduce lead exposure in pregnant women. The county has identified eight pregnant women with elevated blood lead levels this year, and will track their lead levels. The Department works with families and building owners to identify the sources of lead and assure they are removed, and will follow up after the women deliver to assess the exposure of their newborns. EXPOSURE continued on page 4
On Oct. 23, National Prescription Drug Take Back Day, Westchester County’s Department of Environmental Facilities, DEF, provided residents with the opportunity to dispose of prescription and over-the-counter medications at the Household Hazardous-Material Recovery Facility, H-MRF, in Valhalla. To protect our drinking water, rivers, streams and aquatic life, never flush medications. The H-MRF is located on the county’s Valhalla Campus at 15 Woods Road in Valhalla. Rates of prescription drug abuse in the United States are alarmingly high, as are the number of accidental poisonings and overdoses due to these drugs. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s National Survey on Drug Use and Health shows year after year, the majority of misused and abused prescription drugs are obtained from family and friends, including someone else’s medication being stolen from the home medicine cabinet. On the last National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day, DEF collected 434 containers of medications totalling 50 pounds. In 2020, DEF collected and safely disposed of 5,954 pounds
of prescription and over-thecounter medications through collection events at the H-MRF. Last spring, Americans turned in nearly 420 tons (839,543 pounds) of unused or expired prescription drugs and vape devices at more than 5,000 sites operated by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency, USDEA, and more than 4,400 of its state and local law enforcement partners. Overall, since 2010, USDEA and its partners have taken in more than 14.5 million pounds of pills and liquid medicine. Residents who couldn’t make it to the DEF event on Oct. 23, can safely dispose of their unwanted medications at many convenient police department drop-off locations throughout the year. Additionally, DEF accepts medications by appointment on the first Tuesday of each month at the H-MRF. Schedule an appointment or contact the Recycling HelpLine at (914) 813-5425 or 211. The county also has installed locked and secured collection boxes at 38 police department headquarters throughout Westchester, where medications can be dropped off (most are available 24 hours a day/7 days a week). Read more information. (Submitted)