The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office announced on April 24 that it will participate in the annual Arkansas Drug Take Back Day, set for Saturday, April 25 from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. The event invites residents to safely dispose of unwanted and expired prescription medications at Super 1 Foods located at 2800 S. Hazel Street in Pine Bluff.
The initiative aims to reduce pill abuse and theft by removing potentially dangerous drugs from homes, helping prevent misuse and opioid addiction in the community. The event is part of a broader partnership with agencies including the Tri-County Drug Task Force, Joint Task Force Arkansas Counterdrug, Arkansas Sheriff’s Association, Arkansas State Police, and the Arkansas Opioid Recovery Partnership (ARORP), which coordinates opioid settlement funds across city and county levels.
Sheriff Lafayette Woods, Jr., who has served as sheriff since 2019 according to the official website, said: “The drug overdose epidemic is a clear and present public health and public safety issue. Our partnership with law enforcement agencies throughout the State of Arkansas and beyond as part of the Annual Prescription Drug Take Back Day reflects the commitment of the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office to the health and safety of citizens, while encouraging the public remove expired, unused, and unwanted prescription medications from their homes in order to prevent medication misuse. This also helps prevent opioid dependency or addiction.” Woods added that commonly misused drugs such as hydrocodone (Vicodin), Oxycodone (OxyCotin), and Fentanyl (Duragesic) are often found in home medicine cabinets.
During last year’s event on October 25, law enforcement partners collected over 26,500 pounds of prescription medications statewide. Nationwide efforts between 2010-2025 have resulted in more than 684,446 pounds being removed from circulation according to data shared by organizers. Captain Yohance Brunson of the Tri-County Drug Task Force said: “More than half of people who misuse prescription medications obtain them from family and friends. Disposing of unused medications is an easy, proactive way to safeguard our communities and foster a healthier future for all Arkansans.”
Residents can find additional collection sites by visiting https://ardrugtakeback.org/dispose-of-drugs/#dropoff or learn more about safe disposal methods through ARORP resources like downloading ReviveAR app.
The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office supports community welfare through progressive public safety efforts according to its official website (official website). The office maintains nine divisions along with two detention centers (official website) while focusing on professional ethical services for Jefferson County (official website). Serving one of Arkansas’ largest counties by landmass (official website), it provides law enforcement throughout Jefferson County (official website)—an area where it has operated since establishment—by managing various divisions supporting local needs (official website).
Broader participation in programs like Drug Take Back Day demonstrates ongoing efforts by local authorities nationwide to address substance misuse issues at both community and national levels.
