National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day underway

  Eyewitness NewsNEWARK, N.J. (WABC) -- Saturday is National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day.

It's the latest in an ongoing program that lets people anonymously drop off expired or unused medications.

People on Staten Island can drop prescription drugs off at Staten Island University Hospital, Richmond University Medical Center and the three police precincts.

Municipalities across New Jersey are also participating.

Federal, state and local officials are urging people to bring their unwanted or unused prescription drugs to local drop off sites across the state.

The event will take place from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

A National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day held in April collected 276 tons of unwanted or expired medications nationwide.

Authorities safely dispose of the collected medications.

New Jersey law enforcement officials also recently announced a new drug prescription awareness public information campaign.

A list of sites is available at the U.S. Department of Justice website:

http://www.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/drug_disposal/takeback/index.html

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Donations planned on National Donut Day

  Eyewitness NewsNEW YORK (WABC) -- They're saying it's the largest box of Entenmann's Donuts ever created and they're unveiling it at celebration in Manhattan honoring the 75th annual National Donut Day.

Entenmann's plans to donate $25,000 to The Salvation Army at the event Friday at Madison Square Park. Organizers will also share a Proclamation Letter signed New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg.

The National Donut Day holiday is held annually on the first Friday of June. It was established by The Salvation Army in 1938 in Chicago to honor "donut lassies" who served treats to soldiers in WWI.

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National emergency alert system set to launch

  By ALICIA A. CALDWELLNEW YORK -- After more than five years of planning, a national emergency alert system that will send messages to cell phones during disasters is set to launch in New York City and Washington by the end of year.

Federal Communications Commission Chairman Julius Genachowski said Monday the Commercial Mobile Alert System, which will be formally announced at a meeting in New York on Tuesday, will direct emergency messages to cell phones in case of a terrorist attack, natural disaster or other serious emergencies.

The alert plan was approved by Congress in 2006 under the Warning Alert and Response Network Act.

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Reaching people in the midst of disasters such as the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks or Hurricane Katrina in 2005, when cell phone networks were overwhelmed or otherwise out of service, has been an ongoing concern for emergency personnel around the country.

Local and state governments have been increasingly turning to text messages to alert residents to everything from snow days closing schools to traffic blocking local roadways. But the volume of messages can be overwhelming or too late to be of much help.

Genachowski and Federal Emergency Management Agency administrator Craig Fugate said the new national system will be selective in what it sends out.

"These are really focused on the highest levels of alerts, and those that require urgent action," Fugate said.

Genachowski added that officials expect the alerts "to be very limited."

There will be at least three levels of messages, ranging from a critical national alert from the president to warnings about impending or occurring national disasters to alerts about missing or abducted children. People will be able to opt out of receiving all but the presidential alerts, Genachowski said.

A special chip is required to allow the phone to receive the messages, and starting next all new phones will have the technology. Some smart phones already have the chip and software updates will be available when the network goes online later this year, Genachowski said.

Fugate said cell phones turned on in the direct vicinity of a disaster - an evacuation zone, for instance - would receive a message warning them of the impending danger. The alert would show up on the phone's front screen, instead of the traditional text message inbox, and arrive with a distinct ring and likely a vibration.

Messages are expected to get through even if traditional phone lines are swamped.

"Network congestion in times of major disasters is a real issue," Genachowski said. "This plan ... makes sure emergency alerts can get through even if the network is congested."

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