If you, like many people, have unneeded or expired prescription drugs in your medicine chest, you can safely and easily get rid of them via an upcoming safe disposal event being held in Bensonhurst, says Assemblyman William Colton (D—Gravesend, Bensonhurst, Bath Beach and Dyker Heights).

Assemblyman Colton advises that Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez will be holding Operation Prescription Drug Take Back on Friday, April 25, 2025, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at seven locations around the borough, including Il Centro, 8711 18^th Avenue.

“This is a great opportunity to discard prescription medications that you no longer have a use for, or which have passed their expiration date,” said Assemblyman Colton. “Disposing of them in this way helps ensure that they do not get into the hands of people who might misuse or be harmed by them, and also helps protect our environment.”

Having access to such a prescription drug disposal arrangement is important because the New York Department of Sanitation (DSNY) instructs, “Never flush medication down the drain or in the toilet.”

If you are unable to make it to the April 25 disposal event, many pharmacies have secure prescription drug drop-off boxes. But, if you can’t make the DA’s prescription drug drop-off event or get to a nearby pharmacy with a drop-off box, it’s still possible to throw many unwanted pharmaceuticals in the garbage, as long as you follow certain safety protocols.

To dispose of many kinds of prescription medication in the trash, DSNY recommends removing it from its original packaging and mixing it with an undesirable substance such as used coffee grounds or cat litter in a sealed container in order to discourage people from trying to remove the discarded medication from the garbage. Before separately throwing out the packaging, the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) says to make sure your name or any other identifying information is obliterated or removed.

However, not all medication can be dealt with in this fashion. Because of the risks associated with opioids, the FDA does not recommend disposing of Fentanyl patches this way. As for inhalers, the FDA notes that they can be “dangerous if punctured or thrown into a fire or incinerator. To properly dispose of these products and follow local regulations and laws,” the FDA says, “contact your trash and recycling facility.”