Vape Waste Bins Available in Putnam

CARMEL- The Prevention Council of Putnam has set up a system to allow for the safe disposal of vaping products throughout the county.

Despite warnings about the dangers of vaping, the Centers for Disease Control recently reported that monthly sales of e-cigarettes increased 46.6 percent — from 15.5 million units in January 2020 to 22.7 million units in December 2023; sales of pre-filled devices declined, while sales of disposable devices increased; and sales of sweet, youth-appealing flavors increased.

Lauren Johnson, Community Engagement Facilitator at the Prevention Council of Putnam, says that while the “Department of Environmental Conservation has been working on a solution, there is no formal mechanism to safely dispose of vape products in New York State. The Drug Enforcement Administration recognized the need for a safe mechanism for disposing of vape products to protect them from diversion to minors and to keep high-potency nicotine out of the soil and groundwater. That’s why the agency this year began allowing vape devices, e-cigarettes, and cartridges to be disposed of during their biannual Drug Take-Back Days. But those events have been few and far between.”

Putnam County school districts are being hit particularly hard by the amount of e-cigarettes they seize each year. In the 2023-2024 school year, the county’s six school districts seized a whopping 88 pounds of e-cigarettes.

In response to these concerns, the Prevention Council of Putnam has installed six vape safe receptacles at the Carmel, Philipstown, Patterson and Putnam Valley city halls, at the NYS Department of Motor Vehicles Southeast office, and at the Kent Police Department.

Johnson said the boxes will accept vape devices, e-cigarettes and nicotine cartridges during each location’s hours of operation. “The boxes will also display a QR code that connects people to local resources. The Prevention Council hopes to partner with local school districts this fall and expand safe vape disposal mechanisms to high school students.”

Putnam County Clerk Michael Bartolotti praised the council for its proactive stance: “The Brewster DMV is pleased to host the safe vape bin to help reduce vape waste and connect people to the services they need.”

And Molly Franco, spokesperson for POW’R Against Tobacco, a local resource for tobacco prevention and support, also praised the Prevention Council and participating municipalities for “addressing this important environmental and public health concern. Increasing access to safe disposal methods is an excellent step toward reducing tobacco waste and is a practice that counties across New York State could benefit from. We encourage lawmakers to explore policy options that would streamline this process and hold tobacco companies accountable.”