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Baxter County Patrol Vehicle

'Operation Drop Off'

 
 

We need YOUR help!

What are you doing Saturday between 9 am and 2 pm?

How about taking a few minutes out of your day and driving through the Baxter County Fairgrounds to do your part to help our youth, our community and our environment.

Here are some alarming statistics:

TEENS:

  • Arkansas has the worst teen prescription pain reliever abuse problem in the entire United States.
  • Arkansas has consistently ranked among the ten (10) states with the highest rate of non-medical use of pain relievers by the twelve (12) to twenty (20) year olds.
  • Arkansas 6th graders abuse prescription drugs more than almost any other substance. By the time Arkansas high school students have reached their senior year, 22% have abused prescription drugs.

Environment:

  • For years households and businesses have got into the habit of flushing waste pharmaceuticals.
  • Flushed Medications get into our lakes, rivers and streams.
  • Waste treatment plants and septic systems are generally not designed to treat pharmaceutical waste. The risk to the health of our waters and to our environment is significant.
  • The entry of prescription drugs into the rivers and lakes potentially harm fish, other aquatic life, AND humans.
  • Recent US Geological Survey studies have found traces of painkillers, estrogen, antidepressants, blood-pressure medicines, etc. in water samples from 30 states.
  • The two lakes, Norfork and Bull Shoals, serve as the primary drinking water source for much of the region of North Central Arkansas.

The Baxter County Sheriff's Office along with many other community partners will conduct a program called ‘Operation Drop Off'. This program is designed to get unused prescription medications out of the home and out of the hands of our youth AND to keep our waterways clean and chemical free. This free, ‘No Questions Asked' drive-through drop-off clinic is designed to educate the dangers to our youth and environment as well as give citizens an outlet to get rid of old prescription and over-the-counter medications, legal or illegal.

An alarming and growing number of youth are taking medications from the homes of their parents, grandparents and homes of their friends.

How can you help?

Clean out your medicine cabinets, take all of your old prescription and over-the-counter medications, put them in a bag or sack, drive through the fairgrounds, hand them out your window, and drive away. NO QUESTIONS ASKED.
Do your part and participate. If you cannot make it, ask a friend or neighbor to help and drop them off for you. Together we CAN make a difference.

For more information or if you have questions, please contact the Baxter County Sheriff's Office at 870-425-7000.

Sheriff John Montgomery

PS/ Our new ‘drug terminator' (drug incinerator) will be on display at the fairgrounds.  This incinerator, manufactured by Elastec, Inc., will be used to safely dispose of drugs, legal and illegal.