Sheriff Marty Moss and his deputies collected 350 lbs. of medications from the prescription drug drop box at the Cleburne County Detention Center, along with medications collected during the Arkansas Drug Enforcement Administration’s 7^th National Prescription Drug Take Back Event held Saturday, October 26, 2013.

If you missed Saturday’s event and have medications you wish to dispose of, you may drop them off at your convenience in the drop box located in the lobby of the jail. Citizens are encouraged to remove the labels or mark over them before dropping them in the drop box.  Prescription and over the counter medications, including pills, creams, inhalants, and syrups can be placed in the drop box, however needles cannot be disposed of in this drop box.

All medications collected will be transported to the Arkansas State Police where they will be received by Arkansas Drug Enforcement Administration Agents, then transported to Covanta Energy in Huntsville, AL for destruction.

According to the Arkansas Drug Enforcement Administration, before September 2010, which was the state’s first coordinated prescription drug take back event, there was no regular system of prescription drug disposal.  Prescription drug drop boxes have risen from 3 in 2010 to more than 130 in 2013 and before Saturday’s take back event over 32 tons of drugs had been collected and safely destroyed, keeping them from being stolen from medicine cabinets and hitting the streets.  Arkansas is the per capita 4^th best performing state in DEA sponsored drug take back events, which shows Arkansas’ dedication to preventing prescription drug abuse and crime.