Arkansans exceeded expectations on Arkansas Drug Take Back Day; over 28,700 pounds of medication safely disposed
Numbers up 5,457 lbs. compared to the fall 2024 event
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (April 30, 2025) – Arkansans safely disposed of 28,764 pounds of unused or expired prescription medication for Arkansas Take Back Day during the DEA National Drug Take Back event on Saturday, April 26, a 5,457-pound increase from fall 2024. “There’s nothing like seeing people come out in waves on a weekend to keep medication from getting in the wrong hands or into our water supply,” said Kirk Lane, director of the Arkansas Opioid Recovery Partnership. “The Arkansas Drug Take Back has been successful due to great community partnerships and especially the hard work of the Arkansas National Guard Counter Drug Mission, which makes it possible for the disposal of all these medications.
The Arkansas Drug Take Back program launched in 2010 to help Arkansas families secure, monitor, and dispose of their unwanted, unused, or expired prescription medications. There are now more than 300 permanent drop boxes across Arkansas, which have allowed for the safe destruction of over 329 tons of medications to date. (See www.ardrugtakeback.org for more information.)
“These events and collection sites are critical to our state and mission in drug reduction. Congratulations to our local law enforcement partners, as well as the dedication of the Arkansas State Police for making this possible,” said Thomas Fisher, Arkansas Drug Director. “We’re seeing the tides turn on opioid misuse in our communities, and it’s more important than ever to keep showing up in places it matters most.”
The next National Drug Take Back Day will be held in fall 2025. For more information about Arkansas Drug Take Back Day events or to locate nearby permanent collection sites, visit ARTakeBack.org or download the Arkansas Opioid Recovery Partnership’s ReviveAR app.
Click here for photos from the Benton, Ark,. event.
About the Arkansas Opioid Recovery Partnership
The Arkansas Opioid Recovery Partnership (ARORP), an initiative of the Arkansas Municipal League and the Association of Arkansas Counties, represents an unprecedented, united front between the representatives of local government to abate the loss of life caused by the opioid epidemic in Arkansas communities. The Partnership oversees the strategic disbursement of opioid settlement dollars at the city and county levels and works to reduce overdose deaths through prevention, treatment, enforcement and recovery. ARORP’s message is simple: be bold, stand together and commit to abating opioid misuse and addiction in Arkansas. To learn
more, visit ARORP.org.
