The Pulaski County Sheriff's Office says a 2007 study found that Arkansas rank the highest in the number of teen abuse of prescription pain relievers.
In its effort to protect children, potential abusers, and environment, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration is partnering with over 300 agencies, including the Arkansas Department of Human Services, the state Department of Health, the Sheriff's Associations, the Governor’s Office, and the Board of Pharmacy, to provide locations for public to bring unneeded and expired medications.
Over a hundred locations will open on Saturday, April 27 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Click here to view your nearest drop-off sites
The State Drug Director, Fran Flener, said, “Prescription medications are designed for an individual themselves. It’s based on height, weight, current medical condition. So, if we can limit the access that our young people have to freely obtaining and easily obtaining these medications, then we can cut down on the number of people...overdosed.”
Flener said flushing drugs down the toilet or throwing them in the trash will damage the environment.
“We don’t want people to flush these down the commode, because then they wind up in our streams and they can affect the wildlife that is in the streams,” said Flener.
At least five locations are in Pulaski County:
Baptist Medical Center (I-630) in Little Rock
Lifeline Baptist Church (Baseline & Chicot in Little Rock)
Arkansas Children's Hospital
Walgreens (Cantrell & Taylor Loop in Little Rock)
Walgreens (Chenal & Wellington in Little Rock)
Some of these sites are permanent drugs drop-off locations which is open 24/7 in case you can’t make it on Saturday.