Pine Bluff, Arkansas – Local law enforcement agencies in Jefferson County joined forces on Saturday as part of the 29th National Drug Take-Back Day , a nationwide initiative led by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). This year’s event saw an impressive 680 pounds of expired, unused, or unwanted prescription medications safely collected from residents in Pine Bluff and White Hall.
The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, in partnership with the Tri-County Drug Task Force, Pine Bluff Police Department, and White Hall Police Department, hosted collection sites where community members could drop off medications anonymously, with no questions asked. The initiative aims to reduce the risk of drug abuse, overdose, addiction, theft, and accidental poisoning by clearing out medicine cabinets across America.
According to official totals, the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office collected the bulk of the returned medications with 520 pounds, followed by the White Hall Police Department with 157 pounds, and the Pine Bluff Police Department with 3 pounds. The event was held at three separate collection locations.
“The drug overdose epidemic is a clear and present public health and public safety issue. Our partnership with the DEA as part of the National 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 unneeded, unwanted, and expired prescription medications from their homes in order to prevent medication misuse,” said Jefferson County Sheriff Lafayette Woods, Jr. “The Prescription Drug Take-Back Initiative addresses an on-going public safety and public health issue.”
Since its launch in 2010, the National Drug Take-Back Initiative has collected a staggering 19.8 million pounds (9,910 tons) of prescription drugs across the U.S. During the previous Take-Back event on April 26, 2025, law enforcement agencies nationwide gathered over 620,000 pounds (310 tons) of drugs at more than 4,500 sites.
Sheriff Woods noted that many of the most dangerous prescription drugs—including hydrocodone (Vicodin), oxycodone (OxyContin), and fentanyl (Duragesic)—are commonly found in home medicine cabinets and are highly susceptible to misuse, abuse, or diversion. “These drugs are also among the highest that are susceptible to diversion, misuse, and abuse. A great number of people in our community have been directly or indirectly affected by prescription drug abuse and misuse, and this event allows local residents to be part of the solution. Disposing of unused or unwanted medications in a safe and secure environment is a critical step in fighting this devastating public safety health problem,” he said.
Ongoing Access to Secure Disposal
For those who missed the event, the community still has access to secure daily collection bins at the following locations:
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Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, 410 East 2nd Ave, Pine Bluff, AR
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Doctor’s Orders Pharmacy, 2302 West 28th Ave, Pine Bluff, AR
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Doctor’s Orders Pharmacy, 7240 Sheridan Road, White Hall, AR
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Doctor’s Orders Pharmacy, 500 South Lincoln Ave, Star City, AR
Captain Yohance Brunson, Commander of the Tri-County Drug Task Force, praised the collaboration that made the event possible. “The event was a huge success as a result of great teamwork and great partnerships. Collaboration with Super 1 Foods, Arkansas Office of the Drug Director, Arkansas Opioid Recovery Partnership, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Joint Task Force Arkansas Counterdrug, Arkansas Sheriff’s Association, and Arkansas State Police made the event successful.”
With strong community participation and inter-agency cooperation, Jefferson County continues to play a key role in the nationwide effort to combat prescription drug misuse—one pill at a time.
