The Benton Police Department is officially unveiling an after hours prescription drop-off box at the police department located at 114 S. East St., Suite 100 in Benton.  The drop-off box is the next phase in the departments venture to help educate citizen’s on the danger that the misuse of prescription drugs can pose, and to provide them a secure place for them to safely dispose of unused medicine. 

During the fall of 2009, a prescription drug information booklet was designed to help educate parents and guardians of the dangers associated with prescription drugs.  Over 1500 of the booklets have been handed out to citizens at community events and at all local schools thourghout Saline County. 

In February of this year, Operation Medicine Cabinet was launched.  This event served the purpose of helping put the spotlight on the dangers associated with prescription drug abuse, and it provided four day long drop-off points for people to drop off their unused medicines.  This event succeeded in gathering over 52,000 pills out of people’s medicine cabinets that otherwise might have ended up in the wrong hands or in our water systems. 

The Benton Chamber of Commerce is holding an official ribbon cutting ceremony of the drop-off box at the Benton Police Department at 1:00 PM on 5/12/10.  Fran Flener, the Arkansas State Drug Director, will be present for the event and will be placing the first prescription medicine into the box.  Sen. Shane Broadway and Rep. Dawn Creekmore will be in attendance and will make statements. 

If you have any questions about this event you may contact Lt. Kevin Russell with the Benton Police Department at 501-776-5948 or via email at: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it