<html>
<head>
<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8">
<meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 15 (filtered medium)">
<style><!--
/* Font Definitions */
@font-face
{font-family:"Cambria Math";
panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4;}
@font-face
{font-family:Calibri;
panose-1:2 15 5 2 2 2 4 3 2 4;}
/* Style Definitions */
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
{margin:0in;
font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;}
a:link, span.MsoHyperlink
{mso-style-priority:99;
color:#0563C1;
text-decoration:underline;}
p.MsoNoSpacing, li.MsoNoSpacing, div.MsoNoSpacing
{mso-style-priority:1;
margin:0in;
font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;}
span.EmailStyle17
{mso-style-type:personal-compose;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;
color:windowtext;}
.MsoChpDefault
{mso-style-type:export-only;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;}
@page WordSection1
{size:8.5in 11.0in;
margin:1.0in 1.0in 1.0in 1.0in;}
div.WordSection1
{page:WordSection1;}
--></style><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapedefaults v:ext="edit" spidmax="1026" />
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapelayout v:ext="edit">
<o:idmap v:ext="edit" data="1" />
</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]-->
</head>
<body lang="EN-US" link="#0563C1" vlink="#954F72">
<div class="WordSection1">
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><b><span style="font-size:16.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">PRESS RELEASE<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><b><span style="font-size:16.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">For immediate release:
</span></b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">August 21, 2020<b><o:p></o:p></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">For more information, contact:<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">Brian Smith, Citizens Campaign for the Environment, 716-831-3206,
</span><a href="mailto:bsmith@citizenscampaign.org"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">bsmith@citizenscampaign.org</span></a><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">Scott Cassel, Product Stewardship Institute, 617-236-4822,
</span><a href="mailto:scott@productstewardship.us"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">scott@productstewardship.us</span></a><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">
<b> </b><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">Cliff Weathers, Riverkeeper, 845-445-8257,
</span><a href="mailto:cweathers@riverkeeper.org"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">cweathers@riverkeeper.org</span></a><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><b><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">COALITION CALLS FOR IMPLEMENTATION OF CRITICAL LAW PASSED IN 2018—THE NEW YORK STATE DRUG TAKE BACK ACT<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><b><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><b><i><span style="font-size:13.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">Ongoing delay of law’s implementation threatens to exacerbate the opioid epidemic amid the Covid-19 pandemic
<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><b><i><span style="font-size:13.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">Continued flushing of unwanted drugs endangers water quality across the state<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><b><i><span style="font-size:13.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></i></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">Albany, NY—</span></b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">A broad coalition of
</span><span lang="EN" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">environmental, product stewardship, public health, solid waste management, local government, and fishing organizations recently
<a href="https://cdn.ymaws.com/www.productstewardship.us/resource/resmgr/1/Drug_Take_Back_Implementatio.pdf">
sent a letter</a> to the New York State Department of Health (“<i>Department</i>”) calling for final regulations and implementation of the NYS Drug Take Back Act within 30 days. The law requires pharmaceutical manufacturers to fund a statewide drug take-back
program that provides safe, convenient drug disposal options for the public. The lack of safe disposal
</span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">options for unwanted or expired pharmaceutical drugs not only contributes to the drug abuse epidemic and accidental poisonings in the home, but also to the pollution of our treasured
waters across the state.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><b><span lang="EN" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">Drug Take Back Act Milestones and Missed Deadlines*</span></b><span lang="EN" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<div align="center">
<table class="MsoNormalTable" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" style="border-collapse:collapse">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td width="281" valign="top" style="width:211.0pt;border:solid windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt">
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">Milestone</span></b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
<td width="318" valign="top" style="width:238.5pt;border:solid windowtext 1.0pt;border-left:none;padding:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt">
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">Status</span></b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height:21.05pt">
<td width="281" valign="top" style="width:211.0pt;border:solid windowtext 1.0pt;border-top:none;padding:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;height:21.05pt">
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">Act signed into law<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
<td width="318" valign="top" style="width:238.5pt;border-top:none;border-left:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.0pt;border-right:solid windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;height:21.05pt">
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">Signed, July 10, 2018<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="281" valign="top" style="width:211.0pt;border:solid windowtext 1.0pt;border-top:none;padding:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt">
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">Law takes effect<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
<td width="318" valign="top" style="width:238.5pt;border-top:none;border-left:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.0pt;border-right:solid windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt">
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">Took effect, January 6, 2019<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="281" valign="top" style="width:211.0pt;border:solid windowtext 1.0pt;border-top:none;padding:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt">
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">Pharmaceutical manufacturers required to submit take-back plans by July 5, 2019<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
<td width="318" valign="top" style="width:238.5pt;border-top:none;border-left:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.0pt;border-right:solid windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt">
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">13+ months late, and counting
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="281" valign="top" style="width:211.0pt;border:solid windowtext 1.0pt;border-top:none;padding:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt">
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">DOH (w/ DEC) to complete review of take-back plans within 60 days<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
<td width="318" valign="top" style="width:238.5pt;border-top:none;border-left:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.0pt;border-right:solid windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt">
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">11+ months late, and counting
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="281" valign="top" style="width:211.0pt;border:solid windowtext 1.0pt;border-top:none;padding:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt">
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">Draft regulations
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
<td width="318" valign="top" style="width:238.5pt;border-top:none;border-left:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.0pt;border-right:solid windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt">
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">Published, Fall 2019<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="281" valign="top" style="width:211.0pt;border:solid windowtext 1.0pt;border-top:none;padding:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt">
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">Public comment period on draft regulations<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
<td width="318" valign="top" style="width:238.5pt;border-top:none;border-left:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.0pt;border-right:solid windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt">
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">Comment period closed on December 2, 2019<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="281" valign="top" style="width:211.0pt;border:solid windowtext 1.0pt;border-top:none;padding:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt">
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">Final regulations
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
<td width="318" valign="top" style="width:238.5pt;border-top:none;border-left:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.0pt;border-right:solid windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt">
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">Still not published 9+ months after close of comment period, and counting<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
</div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><a href="https://health.ny.gov/professionals/narcotic/drug_take_back.htm#:~:text=Pursuant%20to%20Chapter%20120%20Laws,disposal%20of%20unused%20covered%20drugs."><i>*See
the Department of Health website</i>:</a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><span lang="EN" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">“We recognize the unprecedented strain the Department is currently under and are appreciative of their efforts to keep New Yorkers safe during the pandemic”
<b>said Brian Smith, Associate Executive Director at Citizens Campaign for the Environment.</b> “We also recognize that the threats to our environment and public health posed by unwanted pharmaceutical drugs are not going away and are likely exacerbated during
the pandemic. We are past time for the multi-billion-dollar pharmaceutical industry, not financially-strapped local governments, to fund safe drug disposal as required by state law.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">“The Drug Take Back Act was justified in part by the findings of studies by the Environmental Protection Agency and Cornell University, based on data gathered by Riverkeeper,
that show dozens of pharmaceuticals are present at low levels in the Hudson River, with the highest numbers and concentrations found at sewage treatment plants,”
<b>said Dan Shapley, Water Quality Program Director for Riverkeeper</b>. “The use of pharmaceuticals has increased dramatically in the last 50 years, creating a weak tea of drugs in our waters, with uncertain effects on drinking water quality and wildlife.
What's more, people are suffering from addiction and death because unused medications are being misused. The Drug Take Back Act is an important step toward addressing these problems, and it's past time to implement it so that we can drop off unused medications
safely and conveniently at the same pharmacies where we fill our prescriptions.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">There has been an increasing number of reports across New York State of rising opioid deaths in the wake of the covid-19 public health crisis. Last week, the Governor announced
the availability of $1 million for mobile addiction services, focused on underserved communities.</span><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">
</span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">The Governor stated, “As we continue our efforts to limit the spread of COVID-19 and safeguard public health, we must remain mindful of the ongoing opioid epidemic.” The coalition contends
that the implementation of the Drug Take Back Act would bolster the state’s anti-drug abuse efforts, as a lack of options to safely dispose of unused drugs is contributing to the drug abuse epidemic in New York State, particularly in low-income and communities
and communities of color.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black">“In the U.S., 6 states and 23 local governments have already passed such drug stewardship laws around the country, and many others are poised to do the same,”
said Scott Cassel, CEO and Founder of the Product Stewardship Institute. “Unless New York is prepared to use precious taxpayer dollars to continue its own pharmaceutical take-back programs, the Department of Health would best protect its citizens by finalizing
its regulations now and get the program moving.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">“The time for drug manufacturers to provide New York State residents with year-long, convenient drop-off of their unwanted pharmaceuticals cannot come soon enough,”
<b>said Andrew Radin, Chair, NY Product Stewardship Council.</b> “We look to NYSDOH to waste no time and make that a reality.”
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center">###<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:navy">_______________________________________________________________</span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black"><br>
</span><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;color:black">Scott Cassel</span></b><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;color:#404040">
</span></b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;color:#404040">▪ </span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;color:black">Chief<b>
</b>Executive Officer/Founder </span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;color:#404040">▪
</span><i><span style="font-size:10.0pt;color:black">Product Stewardship Institute, Inc.</span></i><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;color:#404040"><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;color:black">One Beacon Street, Suite 1500, Boston, MA 02108
</span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;color:#404040">▪ </span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;color:black">617-236-4822 (ph)
</span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;color:#404040">▪ </span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;color:black">617-236-4766 (fax)
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;color:black"><a href="mailto:scott@productstewardship.us"><span style="color:#0563C1">scott@productstewardship.us</span></a>
</span><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;color:#404040"> </span></b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;color:#404040">▪
</span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;color:black"><a href="http://www.productstewardship.us/"><span style="color:#0563C1">www.productstewardship.us</span></a>
</span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;color:#404040">▪ </span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;color:#1F497D"><a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Product-Stewardship-Institute/224328115936?ref=ts"><b><span style="color:#4F81BD">Facebook</span></b></a></span><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;color:gray">
</span></b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;color:#404040">▪ </span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;color:#1F497D"><a href="http://twitter.com/productsteward"><b><span style="color:#4F81BD">Twitter</span></b></a>
</span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;color:#404040">▪ </span><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;color:#4F81BD"><a href="http://productstewardshipinstitute.wordpress.com/"><span style="color:#4F81BD">Blog</span></a></span></b><b><span style="color:#4F81BD">
<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;color:black">Skype address:</span></b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;color:black">
</span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;color:#C00000">scott.cassel1<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;color:#0070C0"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
</div>
</body>
</html>