Jefferson County, Arkansas – The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office is joining law enforcement agencies and community partners across Arkansas for this year’s Drug Take Back effort, giving residents a safe and simple way to get rid of medications they no longer need.
The statewide collection event is scheduled for Oct. 24 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The initiative is held twice each year, in April and October, and is designed to help residents safely dispose of unused or expired medications and prescriptions rather than leaving them in homes where they could be misused, accidentally taken or diverted.
For the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, the effort is part of a broader approach to preventing drug misuse. Officials say that keeping unnecessary medication out of homes can remove a potential source of risk before it becomes a larger problem.
“Preventing drug misuse doesn’t always start with an arrest; it can begin right at home in the medicine cabinet,” said Tri-County Drug Task Force Commander Captain Yohance Brunson. “Unused or expired medications can pose a serious risk when they fall into the wrong hands. This collective Drug Take Back effort gives our citizens a simple and responsible way to remove that risk.”
Residents are encouraged to use the collection event as an opportunity to look through their medicine cabinets and identify prescriptions or other medications that are expired or no longer needed. Rather than allowing those medications to remain stored in the home, people can bring eligible items to one of the participating collection locations.
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The Arkansas Drug Take Back Initiative has roots going back more than a decade. In the spring of 2010, the Benton Police Department worked with community partners to organize a local medication collection event called “Operation Medicine Cabinet.” That same year, the State of Arkansas established the “Monitor. Secure. Dispose.” public education program.
The push for additional prescription drug disposal opportunities continued as communities and officials looked for ways to make medication disposal easier and safer. The Drug Enforcement Administration later launched its first “National Prescription Drug Take Back Day” in September 2010 following a nationwide call for more prescription drug disposal programs.
Since then, drug take-back events have become an important part of efforts to encourage people to remove unwanted medications from their homes.
Brunson said residents do not need to wait for a major event to think about what is sitting in their medicine cabinets.
“We encourage families across our communities to take a few minutes, check their medicine cabinets and safely dispose of medications they no longer need,” said Brunson. “Every prescription properly discarded is one less opportunity for misuse, accidental poisoning or diversion.”
The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office also maintains a permanent Take Back collection box inside its administration building. That location is available to residents throughout the year, providing an option for people who discover unwanted medication outside of the April and October collection periods.
The amount of medication collected during previous events shows how much residents have been willing to participate. According to the Arkansas Opioid Recovery Partnership, Arkansas residents disposed of 28,764 pounds of unused or expired prescription medication during the Arkansas Take Back Day held in connection with the DEA’s National Drug Take Back event on April 26.
That total represented an increase of 5,457 pounds compared with the previous year. Officials said the results demonstrate the role that local communities can play when residents, law enforcement agencies and other organizations work together.
“There’s nothing like seeing people come out in waves on a weekend to keep medication from getting in the wrong hands or into our water supply,” said Kirk Lane, director of the Arkansas Opioid Recovery Partnership at the time. “The Arkansas Drug Take Back has been successful due to great community partnerships and especially the hard work of the Arkansas National Guard Counter Drug Mission, which makes it possible for the disposal of all these medications.”
For residents in Jefferson County, several locations will be available for anonymous deposits of unused and expired medication.
The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office collection site is located at 410 E. 2nd Ave. in Pine Bluff. Residents can also use the collection location at Doctor’s Orders Pharmacy, 7240 Sheridan Road, Suite 102, in White Hall.
The White Hall Police Department, located at 8204 Dollarway Road, is another participating location. In Redfield, residents can take eligible medication to the Redfield Police Department at 113 River Road.
The collection program has specific limits on what can be accepted. The Oct. 24 event is intended for pills and patches. Liquids, needles and sharps are not included in the collection.
Officials are encouraging Jefferson County residents to take a few minutes before the event to check their medicine cabinets and set aside medications they no longer need. The goal is straightforward: make it easier for people to remove unwanted medication from their homes and reduce the chances that those drugs will be misused or accidentally accessed.
Residents looking for additional collection locations can find a complete list of Arkansas Drug Take Back event and permanent sites through the program’s website.
