Senator Hassan Joins DEA and Manchester Police Leaders to Encourage Granite Staters to Participate in Drug Take Back Day
Senator Hassan joins DEA and Manchester Police leaders to encourage Granite Staters to participate in Drug Take Back Day.
MANCHESTER – Ahead of Drug Take Back Day on April 24, U.S. Senator Maggie Hassan visited the Manchester Police Department to encourage Granite Staters to participate in Drug Take Back Day. The Senator was joined by Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Associate Special Agent in Charge of the New England Field Division Jon DeLena and Manchester Police Chief Al Aldenberg.
“We know far too well the painful impact that the substance use disorder crisis is having on our families, communities, economy, and entire state,” Senator Hassan said. “In many ways, the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated this crisis by making it more difficult for those struggling to access the in-person treatment and recovery services that they need. Promoting the proper storage and disposal of expired, unused, or unwanted medicine through Drug Take Back Day can help build on our efforts to prevent the misuse of addictive prescription drugs.”
“We will have close to one hundred locations across the state and this is truly an opportunity for everyone to do something that is critically important to help out with what is going on with overdose issues,” said DeLena. “Right now more than ever we are seeing this fluid threat of illicitly manufactured pills designed to look like prescriptions. We are seeing Adderall pills made with crystal methamphetamine, we are seeing Percocet and Xanax made with nothing but Fentanyl. Another reason why it is so critical to take anything that was not prescribed to you from a doctor, in your possession the whole time and safely dispose of it. This is a no questions asked event. Drive up and drop stuff off.”
“April 24th the Manchester Police Department will have a location in the parking lot, we will be here all day and officers will be ready to greet people and take in any drugs that they want to turn in,” said Chief of Police Aldenberg. “We are glad to partner with DEA and appreciate the Senator coming by here to Manchester PD to get this message out.”
Drug Take Back Day is an annual event for people to drop off unused prescription medication and vaping products. It will occur this year on April 24, and you can find a collection site near you at takebackday.dea.gov.
Senator Hassan has been leading bipartisan efforts to combat the substance use disorder crisis, and since 2017, the Senator has worked to secure more than $86 million to New Hampshire in State Opioid Response grant funding to address the substance use disorder epidemic. Senator Hassan recently pressed nominees for top Department of Health and Human Services positions to commit to ensuring that New Hampshire and other states continue to receive robust funding from the State Opioid Response grant program to prevent a funding cliff that could cause cuts to programs at a time when they are needed most.
Additionally, in 2018, Senator Hassan attended the White House signing ceremony for the bipartisan INTERDICT Act, which she cosponsored, to help ensure that U.S. Customs and Border Protection have the tools to help detect and intercept fentanyl being smuggled into the United States – much of which originated in China. Last year, bipartisan legislation cosponsored by Senator Hassan became law to help prevent opioid trafficking by further ensuring that personnel at the Department of Homeland Security can more easily detect synthetic opioids like fentanyl. Senator Hassan has also led bipartisan efforts to vastly increase access to life-saving addiction medicine by eliminating a requirement that currently blocks millions of highly trained health professionals from prescribing buprenorphine to their patients.
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