AG Shapiro makes stop at Pocono Raceway to announce Drug Take Back Program

Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro took a trip to the Tricky Triangle on Thursday to announce the fourth annual Drug Take Back Program.

Joined by Pocono Raceway President Ben May, Shapiro confirmed that the Office of the Attorney General would again partner with Pocono Raceway to offer attendees an opportunity to safely dispose of their unneeded prescription medications at the track during the 2022 NASCAR race weekend from July 22 through July 24.

"For so many people, opioid addiction starts at home," Shapiro said. "Taking pills from the family medicine cabinet or from a friend's leftover prescription. By providing people with a safe, easy way to dispose of their expired and unwanted prescriptions, we're protecting our communities and saving lives. With the help of Pocono Raceway

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President Ben May and our friends at the Tricky Triangle, we're able to make it a little easier, and a little more fun, for Pennsylvanians to do their part in fighting the opioid epidemic."

May noted that he and the Pocono Raceway family were honored to work alongside the attorney general again with for the drug takeback, which has led to the collection and destruction of 250 pounds of medication over the past three years.

"Each year we have been impressed with how NASCAR fans have responded to this initiative, and their response has highlighted the importance of this program," May said. "We can't wait to see our fans during NASCAR weekend, and we encourage everyone to bring their prescription drugs to the track for safe disposal."

Shapiro, who is also running for governor, stated that the program has helped decrease abuse and addiction to prescription pills, and the outreach from NASCAR fans who "want to save lives and see a great race" continues to provide great help with that mission.

Over the course of the past few years, deaths attributed to synthetic opioid overdoses— including prescriptions such as Fentanyl, which is 50 to 100 times stronger than heroin— have escalated sharply according to the National Center for Health Statistics at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

According to the Department of Health's 2020 Pennsylvania Overdose Data Brief, 85% of the 5,075 accidental and undetermined overdose deaths in the commonwealth were confirmed to be opioid-related, a 16% increase over 2019's 4,314.

Not only is prescription drug abuse dangerous in and of itself, it can also lead to the use of heroin and other street drugs, according to a 2018 report from the National Institute on Drug Abuse. Citing data from 2002 to 2012, NIDA noted that the incidence of heroin use was 19 times higher among those who reported prior nonmedical pain reliever use.

"A study of young, urban injection drug users interviewed in 2008 and 2009 found that 86% had used opioid pain relievers nonmedically prior to using heroin, and their initiation into nonmedical use was characterized by three main sources of opioids: family, friends, or personal prescriptions," the report states.

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While the primary focus of the Pocono Raceway drug take back is the collection and destruction of opioids and other medications that are known for abuse and dependence, attendees are welcome to bring any pills they may have.

"I want to stress this— you can bring anything... old vitamins, if you want to bring expired Tylenol or Advil when you bring the old prescription drugs," Shapiro said. "You bring any of that, we will destroy it. Our hope is that in that mix of the pills that are brought, there's going to be a good bit of of opioids, which there typically is, and that's going to help people from becoming addicted."

According to May, the presence and impact of legal medication abuse has been "eye opening," and being able to participate in an effort to reduce potential harm to the community was a fundamental element of his family business.

"We are a family owned business, we've been a family owned business for 50-plus years," May said. "This is our community and we want this community to be safe and have a real positive quality of life. To be able to (destroy) 250 pounds (of prescription drugs) is amazing when we're talking about grams micrograms. So that's really our motivation to continue to do the right thing for the commonwealth, in the commonwealth, and for our community."

Those interested in dropping off their prescriptions can visit the attorney general's booth at the raceway throughout the weekend, where they can receive some special swag for their service, including raceway souvenirs, stickers, hats, gift cards, and more, May said.

This article originally appeared on Pocono Record: Pocono Raceway to hold drug take back during NASCAR weekend