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Press releaseSALT LAKE CITY -- Utah families will have an opportunity to drop off their unused prescription and over-the-counter drugs during the Be Well Utah health fair on Saturday, September 12 at the University of Utah campus from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Officers from the Salt Lake City Police Department will be present to collect unused medications at the "Using Medications Safely" booth, Tent #15, located outdoors on the lawns immediately north of the Jon M. Huntsman Event Center (basketball arena). Pharmacists and nurses from University Hospital will also be present to answer questions about medications.
"Free medication disposal is one of the many activities being offered during Be Well Utah, the largest, free health fair in the state aimed at encouraging families to make healthy choices," said Mary Talboys, LCSW, chair of Be Well Utah and service director for the University's Neuropsychiatric Institute.
"Proper drug disposal is so important for the environment and for our health and safety," said Leah Ann Lamb, assistant director of the Division of Water Quality. "Flushing medicines down the toilet or sink enter the water because some wastewater treatment plants aren't designed to remove them. And, medications could be stolen if they are thrown away in the garbage," she added.
Be Well Utah: A Family Health Week, September 8-12, 2009 is presented by University of Health Care and Regence BlueCross BlueShield of Utah. Events are located at various University of Utah Health Care locations, culminating with the fair on Saturday, Sept. 12 at the University of Utah campus. All activities are free. For a complete list of Be Well Utah events, visit www.healthcare.utah.edu/bewellutah.
The Department of Environmental Quality has provided grants to local law enforcement agencies to provide collection boxes. For more information on proper medication disposal, including a list of the collection box locations, visit: www.medicationdisposal.utah.gov.
(Courtesy of Utah Dept. of Environmental Quality)
