Residents of Saline County dropped off more than 1,500 pounds of medications during the Saturday, April 29 Arkansas Drug Take Back Day, which was called Operation Medicine Cabinet in Benton. Since 2009, the start of Operation Medicine Cabinet, more than 5 tons of prescription medications have been donated to the Benton Police Department for environmentally safe disposal.

“This shows that residents here are passionate in reversing the opioid epidemic in our own communities and across the nation,” Benton Police Chief Kirk Lane said. “Statistics show that prescription drug abusers largely get them from home medicine cabinets. We are also very proud to see many parents bringing their children with them to show the importance of Operation Medicine Cabinet and the Arkansas Drug Take Back Day.”

There were 349 drug overdose deaths in Arkansas in 2014 and that number decreased to 287 drug overdose deaths in 2015, a reduction of 18 percent. In 2016 however, the number increased by 17 percent at 335 drug overdose deaths in Arkansas. Saline County had 13 drug overdose deaths in 2016. *(These charts were developed from autopsied individuals only. The data was generated from autopsy reports containing one of the following words: intox, overdose, toxicity)

More than 143 people in America die each day due to a drug overdose. The rate of overdose deaths involving opioids (heroin and prescription opioids – oxycodone, hydrocodone, codeine, morphine, fentanyl, and other pain relievers) has increased by 200 percent since 2000.

On an average day in the U.S: more than 650,000 opioid prescriptions are dispensed; 3,900 people initiate nonmedical use of prescription opioids; 580 people initiate heroin use; and 78 people died from opioid-related overdose. A large portion of people who abuse prescription opioids report that they obtained them in the homes of loved ones, including 42 percent of teenagers obtaining prescription medicines from their parent’s medicine cabinet. Also, 64 percent of teenagers (age 12-17) that have abused prescription pain relievers say they got them from friends or relatives. About two-thirds of all prescription drugs (which also include stimulants such as Adderall and depressants like Ativan) illegally obtained are taken from people’s homes and not pharmacies or off the street.

The April 29 Arkansas Drug Take Back Day and Operation Medicine Cabinet were both dedicated to the late William Christian Doerhoff and The William Christian Doerhoff Memorial Foundation. We encourage you to read more about Will Doerhoff and his parents dedication to a program called Speak Up-Speak Out at www.willswork.org.

On April 29 Saline County had drug-take-back collection sites at Walmart in Benton and Bryant, Harvest Foods in Salem and East End, and in Haskell. Together the agencies collected 1,504 pounds of prescription medications.

• Benton Police Department – 1,067 pounds
• Bryant Police Department – 300 pounds
• Haskell Police Department – 51 pounds
• Saline County Sheriff’s Office – 85.2 pounds

Saline County residents have continued to take part in the Operation Medicine Cabinet events, collecting a total of 15,130 pounds since 2009.

Benton Police Department Collection

OMC I: 146 pounds

OMC II: 540 pounds

OMC III: 790 pounds

OMC IV: 483 pounds

OMC V: 630 pounds

OMC VI: 718 pounds

OMC VII: 807 pounds

OMC VIII: 742 pounds

OMC IX: 250 pounds

OMC X: 1,600 pounds

OMC XI: 890 pounds

OMC XII: 1,246 pounds

OMC XIII: 1031 pounds

OMC XIV: 1,504 pounds

The Operation Medicine Cabinet event started in Benton after Russell Goodwin, owner of a local monument company and youth baseball coach, told Benton Police Chief Kirk Lane that he was “tired of making headstones for children” he knew due to the abuse of prescription drugs. Benton officers gathered data that showed there was a problem with abuse and misuse of prescription drugs by youth, including information from the Saline County Coroner’s Office which showed that 30 people died in 2009 as a result of prescription drug abuse.

There was just 146 pounds of prescription medications collected at the first Operation Medicine Cabinet in Benton back in the spring of 2009, but the program and education to the public continued growth. State officials took notice and the program expanded. In 2010, a coalition led by State Drug Director Fran Flener, then Arkansas Attorney General Dustin McDaniel and both Arkansas districts of the U.S. Attorney’s Office launched an ongoing educational program to encourage everyone to “Monitor, Secure and Dispose” of their prescription medications. The also launched the website ardrugtakeback.org.

On the heels of the success in Arkansas, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration announced a nationwide prescription drug take back campaign. In May 2016, the DEA announced that 893,498 pounds of prescription medications were collected in all 50 states, with 25,289 pounds collected from Arkansas.

Returning your unwanted medicines to Operation Medicine Cabinet is the safest and most environmentally protective way to dispose of unused medication. Medicines that are flushed or poured down the drain can end up polluting our waters, impacting aquatic species, and contaminating our food and water supplies. Most medicines are not removed by wastewater treatment plants or septic systems. Scientists have found medicines in surface, ground and marine waters as well as soils and sediments in the Pacific Northwest. Even at very low levels, medicines in the environment hurt aquatic life.

Medicines are a special type of hazardous chemical which are not safe in solid w

aste systems and landfills. Drugs can be very toxic for people and wildlife, even in low doses. Just as we do not put used motor oil or leftover paint thinner in the trash, we should not put these extremely potent pharmaceutical chemicals into unsecure curbside trash cans.

If you have prescription medications needing to be disposed of, drop them off in the Benton Police Department’s 24-7 drop box, located at 114 S. East St. For more information about Operation Medicine Cabinet and for a list of locations across the state where medicines can be dropped off, visit ardrugtakeback.orgor call (501) 618-8693.

Arkansas law enforcement agencies collected more than 24,000 pounds of prescription drug medications in a single day. Arkansas Attorney General Leslie Rutledge said that “Arkansans are helping save countless lives” by getting these prescription medications “out of our homes.”

“Studies show that drug overdose is the leading cause of accidental death in the U.S. with opioid addictions driving this epidemic,” Rutledge said. “I appreciate all the partnering agencies who helped make this prescription drug take back day a success as we continue to fight this growing threat.”

The 24,483 pounds of prescription medications were collected at 200 locations throughout the entire state as part of the semi-annual Prescription Drug Take Back held on Saturday, April 29. This exceeded the previous collection date (October 2016) by 1,000 pounds. Of the 200 locations in the state, 184 of those locations are from facilities with a permanent 24-hour drop-box. All locations can be easily found at ardrugtakeback.org by left-clicking on the Collection Sites/Events & Dropboxes tab, which includes a Google map and search by Zipcode or Collection Site Name.

“Prescription drug abuse has become the nation’s fastest growing drug epidemic, with almost 4 million Americans addicted prescription painkillers,” said U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration Assistant Special Agent in Charge Matt Barden. “Unfortunately, these prescription drugs are most often obtained from friends and family, who leave them in home medicine cabinets. The DEA’s and State of Arkansas’s Take Back initiative provides citizens an easy and safe wa

y to dispose of unwanted prescription drugs.”

“I encourage the citizens of Arkansas to please do your part to keep prescription drugs off the streets and help end this national epidemic,” Barden continued.

Benton Police Chief Kirk Lane said that the Arkansas Drug Take Back Day brings education and awareness to communities to utilize the method of “Secure, Monitor, Dispose,” with prescription drugs.

“It is a major tool in reducing deaths from prescription drug abuse and misuse, as we know that 70 percent of prescriptions that are abused come from our homes,” Lane said. “Great partnerships in this effort are a key part of its success, but there is much more work to do. It will take all of us working together to make the difference, and the difference will save lives.”

Rutledge also announced that the early bird registration is now available for the annual Prescription Drug Abuse Prevention Summit at ArkansasAG.gov. The summit, which was attended last year by more than 700 law enforcement officers, medical professionals, pharmacists and educators, gives an opportunity to hear from experts regarding prescription drug abuse prevention and treatment. This year the summit will be held in Hot Springs on Nov. 9. A full agenda will be announced at a later date.

“I appreciate the partnership with the Attorney General’s Office, the DEA and other supporters involved in this year’s successful Take Back Initiative,” said FBI Little Rock Field Office Special Agent in Charge Diane Upchurch. “Improper disposal can have a devastating effect on our families and communities, as well as our environment. By taking back 24,000 pounds of prescription drugs, we’ve taken a step to save the lives of innocent children who accidentally use prescription drugs and the lives of those who abuse prescription drugs.”

Semi-annually a Prescription Drug Take Back Day is held with the Arkansas Attorney General’s office, Arkansas Department of Health, Arkansas Department of Human Services, Arkansas National Guard, Arkansas Rotary Clubs, Arkansas State Board of Pharmacy, DEA, FBI, Office of the State Drug Director and over 130 additional law enforcement and government agencies, community organizations and public health providers.

Event sites are held at various locations across the State but year-round locations are also available and can be found at ARTakeBack.org. The Attorney General’s office also hosts take back events at mobile offices around the State. Since the program began, more than 72 tons of medication have been collected in Arkansas, which is an estimated 201 million individual pills.