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New Jersey

Fort Lee Police Accepting Unwanted Prescription Drugs Saturday

The event is part of the DEA's national “Take-Back Initiative,” which the agency says has netted tons of potentially dangers prescription drugs since it started.

by Erik Wander

The Fort Lee Police Department is partnering with the U.S. Department of Justice's Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Saturday, offering the residents another chance “to prevent pill abuse and theft by ridding their homes of potentially dangers expired, unused and unwanted prescription drugs.”

Fort Lee Police Chief Thomas O. Ripoli therefore encourages people to bring their medication for disposal to Fort Lee Police Headquarters at 1327 16th St. in Fort Lee on Saturday between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., where officers from the Community Policing Unit and Evidence Bureau will be on hand.

The service is free—no questions asked, police said.

This is not the first time the DEA is conducting it national “Take Back Initiative.” In fact, it's proven successful in the past.

The Fort Lee Police Department provided the follow information about the initiative:

Last October, Americans turned in 377,080 pounds—188.5 tons—of prescription drugs at over 5,300 sites operated by the DEA and nearly 4,000 state and local law enforcement partners. In its three previous Take Back events, DEA and its partners took in almost a million pounds—nearly 500 tons—of pills.

The initiative addresses a vital public safety and public health issue. Medicines that languish in home cabinets are highly susceptible to diversion, misuse and abuse. Rates of prescription drug abuse in the U.S. are alarmingly high, as are the number of accidental poisonings and overdoses due to these drugs. Studies show that a majority of abused prescription drugs are obtained from family and friends, including from the home medicine cabinet. In addition, Americans are now advised that their usual methods for disposing of unused medicines—flushing them down the toilet or throwing them in the trash—both post potential safety and health hazards.

Four days after the first event, Congress passed the Secure and Responsible Drug Disposal Act of 2010, which amends the Controlled Substances Act to allow an “ultimate used” of controlled substance medications to dispose of them by delivering them to entities authorized by the Attorney General to accept them. The Act also allows the Attorney General to authorize long-term care facilities to implement the Act, a process that can take as along as 24 month. Until new regulations are in place, local law enforcement agencies like Fort Lee Police and the DEA will continue to hold prescription drug Take-back-events every few months.

The DEA's Take Back initiative in Fort Lee is Saturday (Sept. 29) from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Fort Lee Police Department located at 1327 16th St.

http://fortlee.patch.com/articles/fort-lee-police-accepting-unwanted-prescription-drugs-saturday

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Florida

Have Unwanted Medications? Prescription Drug Round-Up Is Saturday

The Escambia County Sheriff's Office, the Pensacola Police Department, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and CVS Pharmacies will partner Saturday for a “Prescription Drug Round-Up”.

The event is a one-day effort between local and federal law enforcement to provide the pubic a site to voluntarily surrender expired, unwanted, unused pharmaceutical controlled substances and other medications for destruction.

“This is an excellent opportunity for citizens of Escambia County to dispose of their unwanted medications before they fall into the hands of someone who may abuse or misuse them,” Sheriff David Morgan said, “We appreciate the assistance of a community-minded business CVS in this endeavor, so much can be accomplished when law enforcement, businesses and citizens partner together.”

Medications can be dropped off from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m. Saturday at the Pensacola Police Department or the following CVS locations:

• 2090 South Hwy 29 ( Hwy 29 & Kingsfield Rd.)
• 5301 North Palafox ( Pensacola Blvd & Brent Lane)
• 8150 North Davis Hwy ( Olive Rd & Davis Hwy)
• Mobile Hwy and Saufley Field Road
• 444 Gulf Beach Hwy ( Gulf Beach and Navy)

This event is a part of a national take-back effort. For more information concerning the prescription drug round-up, contact the Escambia County Sheriff's Office Community Oriented Policing Unit at (850)-436-9496.

http://www.northescambia.com/2012/09/have-unwanted-medications-prescription-drug-round-up-is-saturday

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Alabama

Auburn Police to host Prescription Drug Take Back Day

Auburn, Ala. - The Auburn Police Division (APD) is hosting a Prescription Drug Take Back Day from 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, September 29 at Our Home Pharmacy located at 2320 Moores Mill Road, Suite 100 in Auburn.

This Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) program is being coordinated and sponsored by Auburn University's Harrison School of Pharmacy. APD officers and Opelika Police Department officers will be stationed in the parking lot of Our Home Pharmacy to collect unneeded prescription drugs turned in by the public.

Participants need only to simply drive up and turn over prescription drugs to an officer. The exchange must be from a citizen to a law enforcement officer per DEA guidelines. Collection containers and instructions for custody and disposal will be provided to participants.

This event is an extension of APD's community oriented policing approach and serves as an example of how Auburn Police Chief Tommy Dawson and the Auburn Police Division work with citizens in ridding our community of harmful drugs.

http://www.wltz.com/story/19645344/auburn-police-to-host

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From the White House

Empowering Women and Girls in the United States and Abroad

by Valerie Jarrett

This week, we took two major steps in empowering women and girls both here in the United States and abroad.

On Monday, we announced Equal Futures, a partnership between the U.S. and other nations to advance the rights and opportunities of women and girls.

At last year's UN General Assembly, President Obama challenged member nations to “break down economic and political barriers that stand in the way of women and girls.”

To answer the call, on Monday, I joined Secretary Clinton and leaders from around the world to launch the Equal Futures Partnership.

Founding members, including the United States and 12 other countries, each shared new national commitments to further women's political and economic participation. For the United States, our Equal Futures commitments will:

• Expand opportunity for women and girls in the science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) fields
• Expand economic security for domestic violence victims
• Support women entrepreneurs
• Promote civic and public leadership for girls

In each of these areas, we are working to strengthen government policies and programs and partner with private and non-profit sectors to achieve our objectives. For more information on our commitments, read here.

The second major step to empower women and girls took place yesterday, when the President spoke on human trafficking at the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) Annual Meeting.

Human trafficking is a fundamental human rights issue, and according to the UN, the overwhelming majority of victims are women and girls.

President Obama called human trafficking a debasement of our common humanity, and that it must be called what it is: modern slavery.

President Obama also made clear that the United States will continue to be a leader in the global movement to end human trafficking. At CGI, he announced a series of additional steps in partnership with civil society and the private sector, including issuing an Executive Order to strengthen protections against trafficking in federal contracting.

These commitments build on the previous work that the U.S. has done to identify trafficking networks and strengthen protections for foreign-born workers.

President Obama also shared the stories of brave women who had been trafficked:

Marie Godet Niyonyota, from the Congo, who was kidnapped by rebels, and turned into a slave. She was abused -- physically and sexually and gotten pregnant 5 times. In one awful battle, her children were killed -- all five of them. Miraculously, she survived and escaped. And with care and support, she began to heal. And she learned to read and write and sew, and today Marie is back home, working toward a new future.

And Sheila White, who grew up in the Bronx. Fleeing an abusive home, she fell in with a guy who said he'd protect her. Instead, he sold her -- just 15 years old -- to men who raped her and beat her, and burned her with irons. And finally, after years -- with the help of a non-profit led by other survivors -- she found the courage to break free and get the services she needed. Sheila earned her GED. Today she is a powerful, fierce advocate who helped to pass a new anti-trafficking law right here in New York.

As the President said, these women endured unspeakable horror, “but in their unbreakable will, in their courage, in their resilience, they remind us that this cycle can be broken; victims can become not only survivors, they can become leaders and advocates, and bring about change.”

He concluded with a message to the millions of trafficking victims:

“We see you. We hear you. We insist on your dignity," he said. "And we share your belief that if just given the chance, you will forge a life equal to your talents and worthy of your dreams.”

I visited Girls Educational and Mentoring Services (GEMS), founded by Rachel Lloyd. GEMS is the only organization in New York State specifically designed to serve girls and young women who have experienced commercial sexual exploitation and domestic trafficking. I met privately with Sheila White and three other survivors who endured abuse and now advocate for those in the same position, and I was deeply moved and heartened by their stories. No one should have to endure this travesty and abuse, but yet these five brave women all have not just survived, but persevered, and now courageously dedicate their lives to lifting up and freeing others from human slavery.

As I've participated in different events throughout the week, I continue to think about the strength, resilience, and leadership of these young women who have survived the horrors of human trafficking to become leaders and advocates. They are an inspiration for all of us who continue to work so that more women and girls can realize their dreams.

Valerie Jarrett is a Senior Advisor to President Barack Obama.

http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2012/09/26/empowering-women-and-girls-united-states-and-abroad

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From the Department of Homeland Security

FirstNet Board's Inaugural Meeting on the Nationwide Public Safety Broadband Network

by Janet Napolitano, DHS Secretary

Following the attacks on September 11, 2001, members of the emergency response community – police officers, firefighters, and emergency medical service personnel came together, in conjunction with the Federal government, to strengthen emergency communications capabilities through enhanced coordination, planning, training, and new equipment. Through the President's Wireless Innovation and Infrastructure Initiative, the Administration outlined its commitment to the development and deployment of the Nationwide Public Safety Broadband Network for use by emergency responders throughout the country.

The establishment of the FirstNet Board represents an important milestone in the implementation of the Nationwide Public Safety Broadband Network, and today, I had the privilege of joining my fellow board members at the inaugural meeting to provide our nation's first responders with a dedicated communications network to help them share information and communicate during emergency situations. The FirstNet Board will work directly with first responders to ensure that the design, construction, and governance of a nationwide network is done efficiently and effectively.

The FirstNet Board is ready to tackle the challenge before us, and DHS is committed to ensuring that the establishment of a nationwide network meets the needs of our nation's emergency responders. To that end, DHS is providing technical assistance to states to update their Statewide Communication Interoperability Plans, and engaging federal, state, local, territorial and tribal public safety groups in the development of the Nationwide Public Safety Broadband Network.

For more information on the Nationwide Public Safety Broadband Network please go to www.dhs.gov/PublicSafetyBroadband

http://www.dhs.gov/blog/2012/09/25/firstnet-board%E2%80%99s-inaugural-meeting-nationwide-public-safety-broadband-network