Operation Medicine Cabinet coming to Oceanside

After Oceanside High School hosted a program last January, "Heroin on Long Island: Face the Facts," members of the school's Drug Advisory Wellness Council (DAWC) wanted to continue to do more to raise awareness about the dangers of drug use and addiction.

The council, a school-based community partnership that consists of school board members, teachers, administrators, police officers and others, are working to continue to bring attention to the issue, when it hosts Operation Medicine Cabinet on Saturday, May 8 at Oceanside High School from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Organized in conjunction with the Nassau County Police Department, the initiative is aimed at disposing of unused, unwanted prescription medication. The police department hosts Operation Medicine Cabinet in different communities throughout the county, providing an opportunity for people to dispose of these drugs anonymously and in an environmentally safe way, especially since unused prescription medications can pose significant safety and environmental risks including accidental ingestion, abuse, and contamination of waterways when not disposed of properly.

This is the first time the program is being held in Oceanside.

"When we did the 'Heroin on Long Island' program, one of the things that was mentioned was that prescription drugs that are legally obtained are kind of a gateway for kids to access dangerous narcotics," said Bob Fenter, assistant superintendent for curriculum and member of DAWC. "[The idea] started with a district goal that we set this year, that we're going to go into this school year and be as proactive as possible. We felt that we needed to refocus our attention on drug and alcohol abuse."

Fenter said that the aim of Operation Medicine Cabinet is to remind people that they should empty their prescription drugs, which could be "a risk to their families, themselves and potentially to the environment."

Nassau County Police said that prescription painkillers have flooded the local illegal drug market in the past decade, which has increased a recent spike in heroin use.

"We're hoping for a big turnout on May 8," Fenter said. "I think the incentive is giving people a concrete time and place where they can dispose of these medications. At the heroin presentation, we had 350 people there that night. Parents and teachers were proud of the Oceanside community for supporting this. We want to make sure we're keeping our kids safe."