Safely dispose of unwanted prescription dru..

National Take Back • Those pills you've forgotten about could kill a loved one.

This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2013, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

That drawer or bathroom cabinet may have become a forgotten dumping ground for old prescription painkillers, antibiotics or sedatives to you, but it could pose a danger to loved ones — or lure thieves.

This Saturday, the Draper Police Department, as part of the National Take Back Initiative, is offering you a way to safely dispose of those old, expired, unused and potentially deadly prescription drugs.

Partnered with the federal Drug Enforcement Agency, Draper police invites the public to bring their unwanted medications for disposal to the Smith's Food & Drug at 212 East 12300 South in Draper.

The service is free and anonymous, no questions asked.

The effort is also taking place at several other locations throughout the Wasatch Front. Here are some of them:

Smith's

• 1170 E. Gentile, Layton

• 555 S. 200 West, Bountiful

• 2399 S. Main Street, Bountiful

• 1316 N. Highway 89, Farmington

• 4065 S. Redwood Road, Salt Lake City

• 3470 E. 7800 South, Cottonwood Heights

• 1320 N. Redwood Road, Saratoga Springs

• 1550 E. 3500 North, Lehi

• 350 N. Freedom Boulevard, Provo

• 2353 N. Main Street, Sunset

• 951 W. 1700 South, Syracuse

• 4080 W. 9000 South, West Jordan

• 1820 W. 8000 South, West Jordan

• 156 S. Main Street, Brigham City

• 665 W. 5300 South, Murray

Macey's

• 2062 W. 1800 North, Clinton

Hill Air Force Base

(access restricted to those with proper base ID)

• 5845 E. Ave. Bldg 412 (Base Exchange)

• 7451 6th St. (Commissary)

Last April, Americans turned in 371 tons of prescription drugs at about 5,800 sites operated by the DEA and its thousands of state and local law enforcement partners. In its six previous Take Back events, DEA and its partners took in over 2.8 million pounds—more than 1,400 tons—of pills.

Studies show that a majority of abused prescription drugs are obtained from family and friends, including from the home medicine cabinet. In addition, Americans are now advised that their usual methods for disposing of unused medicines—flushing them down the toilet or throwing them in the trash—both pose potential safety and health hazards.

To find permanent disposal bins, call the Utah Department of Environmental Quality Hotline at 1-800-458-0145 or visit www.useonlyasdirected.org.

remims@sltrib.com

Twitter: @remims

Safely dispose of unwanted prescription drugs Saturday