Layton City has decided to take action and provide a disposal site where residents can anonymously get rid of old medicine without affecting the landfill or water supply. The disposal bin is in the lobby of the police department at 429 N. Wasatch Drive.

It may seem unusual that the police department collects unused medicine, but there is good reason. Unused medicine is often found by young kids, or stolen by teens who want the medicine for parties.

Because the Layton police have seen the harm of misusing drugs, they are trying to address the issue before it becomes a problem.

"The issue we are dealing with is prescriptions left behind in homes because they don't know what else to do with it," said Sgt. Mark Chatlin of the Layton City Police. "We want to protect the environment, but the bigger issue for us is to cut down on the idea that someone may want to use the expired prescriptions, which is potentially dangerous to them."

Many people may not realize the effect that dumping medicine has on the environment. "I usually just throw it in the garbage," said Amanda Myers who works for Layton City. "I didn't know I was supposed to do anything special with it."

Layton is trying to get the word to its residents that there are consequences to putting old medicine in the trash or down the drain.

Studies by the Environmental Protection Agency and U.S. Geological Survey show that low concentrations of pharmaceutical chemicals are present in wastewater, according to Leah Ann Lamb, assistant director of Utah Division of Water Quality.

"At this time, there is no correlation to human affects, but individual studies are seeing impacts to fish and other organisms," said Lamb. "Our theory is if we can get it out of the waste stream, we won't have to treat it. 'Don't flush it, don't pour it' is our motto, instead, we are taking all medications back, including over-the-counter drugs, just to keep it out of the nation's waters."

Holly Plotnick, evidence officer with the Layton Police, is impressed at how full the bin has gotten in the first few weeks the bin has been available. Once the bin is full, the drugs will be photographed, weighed and taken to the burn plant along with other evidence. Those disposal loads usually consist of about 850 pounds.

The nation does not have a medicine recovery program, so the state began a pilot program in Salt Lake City a year ago. Any city that provides a disposal site can receive a grant from the Utah Division of Water Quality.

Find out more

* For more information on the program, call the Layton Police at 801-497-8300. To find out about other collection sites throughout the state please visit: www. medicationdisposal.utah.gov.