Northwest Arkansas law enforcement agencies plan prescription drug 'take back' day

Several Benton and Washington county law enforcement agencies plan to participate in a statewide, one-day campaign for residents to dispose of medication.

Police and others hope to curb the abuse of prescription drugs as part of a Drug Take Back event from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, according to news releases.

Drop-off sites

Medications can be deposited Saturday at the following locations in Northwest Arkansas. For more information or to find other locations in the state, visit artakeback.org.

• Boys & Girls Club, 2801 W. Walker Road, Bentonville

• Johnson City Hall, 2904 Main Drive

• Tontitown City Hall, 235 E. Henri De Tonti Blvd.

• Harps Foods, 918 S. Gutensohn Road, Springdale

• Harps, 1780 N. Crossover Road, Fayetteville

• Harps, 319 E. Buchanan, Prairie Grove

• Harps, 718 W. Pridemore Drive, Lincoln

• Harps, 266 Three Dog Lane, West Fork

Source: Staff report

Many law enforcement agencies -- including the Benton and Washington County sheriff's offices -- have permanent drop-off sites for unwanted medications. Several departments plan to have temporary sites Saturday.

People will not be questioned about the medications being disposed, according to police news releases.

"This is an effort to reduce misuse and abuse of prescription drugs obtained by teenagers from their parents' medicine cabinets," according to a Johnson police news release. "By ridding their medicine cabinets of unwanted medications, Arkansans have destroyed over 62 tons of pills over the past three years."

Pills will be accepted in any container and may be removed from the original bottles to increase privacy, according to a Pea Ridge police news release. Unwanted prescriptions, over the counter medications and vitamins also will be accepted, according to artakeback.org, a clearinghouse of information about the statewide event.

The campaign also allows for safely disposing of medication that could otherwise end up degrading the environment or poisoning people, according to news releases and the website.

Northwest Arkansas law enforcement agencies participating this year include: Bentonville, Johnson, Lincoln, Pea Ridge, Prairie Grove, Rogers, Springdale, Tontitown and West Fork. Some police departments and the Washington County sheriff's office are working with Project Right Choice to collect unwanted medications Saturday, spokesmen said.

The Northwest Arkansas group's mission is to stop people from using illegal drugs and drinking while under age 18, according to Project Right Choice's website.

The Rogers and Bentonville police departments will be teamed with the Drug Free Benton County Coalition, which is under the Boys & Girls Club of Benton County and advocates keeping kids drug-free.

This year's event is sponsored by the Office of the Drug Director, U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency-Little Rock Field Office, state National Guard, Rotary clubs, Arkansas State Board of Pharmacy, state health department, state human services department, according to a news release.

NW News on 04/24/2015

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