Drug Disposal Safety

I am a TV channel flipper most likely because I generally rely on it for noise and few really good programs.

Flipping the other night I came across Dog the Bounty Hunter's 200th episode and got one big shock.  The crew was flushing coke down the toilet at Dog's direction. BAD DOG!

I was hot on his tail for this egregious act, just because municipal water supplies cannot clean these drugs out of the system. 

No wonder everyone is out of sorts for being medicated without their knowledge or permission.

Here is the current policy fyi 

http://www.whitehousedrugpolicy.gov/publications/pdf/prescrip_disposal.pdf

Addressing Unchecked Dumping of Drugs in Waterways

Selected posts from Natural Health News

Proper Drug Disposal

Dec 16, 2009

Customers should not dispose of drug patches (birth control, nicotine, etc.) or other medical products in the toilet or down the drain. A list of approved disposal sites can be found by visiting http://www.operationmedicinecabinetnj.org ...

Incineration Required

Sep 19, 2008

And while most pharmaceutical waste is unmetabolized medicine that is flushed into sewers and waterways through human excretion, the AP examined institutional drug disposal and its dangers because unused drugs add another substantial ...

Safe Disposal of Rx Drugs

Nov 15, 2008

Because water treatment facilities cannot remove the chemicals from the water supply all of us are inundated with drug metabolites including hormones to chemotherapy. Be wise and incinerate. Check with a local pharmacy or hospital in ...

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Posted in: DOG the Bounty Hunter,drug disposal,first natural health news,water

Proper Drug Disposal

New Jersey American Water Encourages Proper Disposal of Prescription Drugs

CHERRY HILL, N.J., Dec. 16 -- New Jersey American Water is advising its customers to properly dispose of unneeded prescription drugs, so that unused medication does not enter the public water supply.


The company is joining the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection and other state agencies to raise awareness of the potential impact that improperly discarded pharmaceutical products could have on drinking water. Customers should not dispose of drug patches (birth control, nicotine, etc.) or other medical products in the toilet or down the drain. A list of approved disposal sites can be found by visiting http://www.operationmedicinecabinetnj.org/

"The importance of properly disposing of medical and pharmaceutical products is something that all of our customers may not be aware of," said John Bigelow, president of New Jersey American Water. "We can all help prevent potentially harmful substances from being placed in our water supply."

Currently, there are no EPA approved methods for testing for pharmaceuticals in water and there are no federally-certified laboratories to do the testing. American Water has conducted research since the late 1990s and has participated in four research studies to examine the presence in source water and drinking water. The research has determined that low levels identified in drinking water are not harmful to public health based on available data and EPA guidelines. American Water supports the development and standardization of EPA-approved analytical tests for pharmaceuticals in water.

New Jersey American Water, a wholly owned subsidiary of American Water (NYSE: AWK), is the largest investor-owned water utility in the state, providing high-quality and reliable water and/or wastewater services to approximately 2.5 million people. Founded in 1886, American Water is the largest investor-owned U.S. water and wastewater utility company. With headquarters in Voorhees, N.J., the company employs more than 7,000 dedicated professionals who provide drinking water, wastewater and other related services to approximately 15 million people in 32 states and Ontario, Canada.

SOURCE New Jersey American Water

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Posted in: drug disposal

Safe Disposal of Rx Drugs

Water treatment facilities are burdened because people often dispose of drugs by throwing them into a toilet and flushing then down the drain.

Because water treatment facilities cannot remove the chemicals from the water supply all of us are inundated with drug metabolites including hormones to chemotherapy.

Be wise and incinerate. Check with a local pharmacy or hospital in your area for resources. Be Wise.

How Do You Dispose of Unused Meds?

Unwanted Drugs Pollute Waterways, But One City Has Come Up With A Solution to Keep Them Out of the Water Supply

Studies have shown the presence of a wide range of over-the-counter and prescription drugs in our waterways due to the flushing of old or unwanted meds and human waste.

In addition, farms provide a runoff problem, and an ongoing AP investigation found that millions of pounds of unused pharmaceuticals are flushed by hospitals and long-term care facilities in the US.

But how else can people dispose of these drugs?

Chicago has come up with a solution. According to the Environmental News Service, the Windy City has set up drop boxes at five police stations where people can deposit expired or unused prescription drugs. The meds will then be packaged and sent to a state-authorized incinerator for destruction.

The program is funded by the EPA and the Illinois EPA.

Mayor Richard Daley is quoted in the article: "Many people may not be aware that improperly disposing of prescription or over-the-counter drugs, such as flushing them down the toilet, contributes to pharmaceuticals found in our waterways."

In March, according to the article, the Illinois EPA tested the drinking water of five public water supplies in Illinois, and identified 16 pharmaceuticals, including caffeine, nicotine, aspirin and the insect repellent DEET, prescription drugs such as the antibiotic penicillin, the anti-convulsant Dilantin and the thyroid hormone replacement Levothyroxine.

While this is a step in the right direction, the article says the majority of trace pharmaceuticals found in the city's waterways are the result of human and livestock excretion.

Find this article at: http://www.thedailygreen.com/environmental-news/latest/chicago-meds-drop-boxes-44111208

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Posted in: don't flush old drugs,drug disposal,health news,incinerate drugs,natural health news,natural news