Letter to the Editor

Last October, Arkansans disposed of 26,500 pounds of unwanted medications on Arkansas Drug Take Back Day. The next opportunity to discard old prescriptions and other unused medications sitting in medicine cabinets is April 25 at collection sites in every county across the state. 

To date, the Arkansas Drug Take Back initiative has safely destroyed 342 tons of medications in Arkansas, keeping opioids out of the wrong hands and Arkansas water sources.  

Opioid prescriptions and opioid-related deaths have declined in the last 10 years, but Arkansas had the highest opioid prescription rate in the U.S. in 2024, with 68.8 opioid prescriptions dispensed for every 100 Arkansans. And in 2022, southeast Arkansas was one of the highest-risk regions for opioid misuse and deaths. 

The Arkansas Drug Take Back website, sponsored by the Arkansas Opioid Recovery Partnership (ARORP), educates Arkansans on how to monitor, secure and dispose of medications that are no longer needed. While Arkansans can drop off prescriptions year-round, Arkansas Drug Take Back Day marks a rare moment for individuals to unify in a mission to benefit all 75 counties in Arkansas.  

We invite you to join us April 25 to help save lives during the 16th-annual Arkansas Drug Take Back Day.  

Sincerely,  Kirk Lane, director of the Arkansas Opioid Recovery Partnership (ARORP)