On Saturday, Oct. 24, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. local law enforcement and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration will provide the public the opportunity to prevent pill abuse and theft by ridding their homes of potentially dangerous expired, unused and unwanted prescription drugs.
Bring your pills for disposal to one of the following locations:
- Ferguson’s Furniture – 1200 Ferguson Dr., Benton, AR 72015
- Kroger Marketplace – 20820 I-30, Benton, AR 72019
- Walmart – 400 Bryant Ave, Bryant, AR 72022
- Shopper’s Value Store – 1212 Salem Road, Benton, AR 72019
(Sites cannot accept liquids, needles or sharps, only pills or patches.) The service is free and anonymous, no questions asked.
This October’s event is the DEA’s 19th nationwide event since its inception 10 years ago.
Last fall, Americans turned in nearly 883,000 pounds of prescription drugs at nearly 6,300 sites operated by the DEA and almost 5,000 of its state and local law enforcement partners.
To keep everyone safe, collection sites will follow local COVID-19 guidelines and regulations.
This initiative addresses a vital public safety and public health issue. Medicines that languish in home cabinets are highly susceptible to diversion, misuse, and abuse. Rates of prescription drug abuse in the United States are alarmingly high, as are the number of accidental poisonings and overdoses due to these drugs.
In addition to the DEA’s National Prescription Drug Take Back Day, there are many other ways to dispose of unwanted prescription drugs every day, including the 11,000 authorized collectors that are available all year. For more information, visit DEA’s year-round collection site locator.
The FDA also provides information on how to properly dispose of prescription drugs. More information is available here: https://www.fda.gov/consumers/consumer-updates/where-and-how-dispose-unused-medicines.
For more information about the disposal of prescription drugs or about the October 24 Take Back Day event, go to www.artakeback.org.