No drugs down the drain!
Got any leftover or expired drugs in your medicine cabinet? Most of us do, and the question is how can we dispose of these medicines safely?
Flushing drugs down sinks or toilets is not the answer. While wastewater from indoor plumbing is treated to meet strict regulatory standards before being discharged into the ocean, the wastewater treatment plant cannot filter out or neutralize all medicinal ingredients.
Even low levels of drugs can have negative effects on the health and reproduction of marine life. The landmark 2002 U.S. Geological Survey study found that 80 percent of streams sampled nationwide contained prescription and over-the-counter drugs, including ibuprofen, steroids, and reproductive hormones.
Research on this complex issue is still underway. While it is important to take medicines as needed, we can play an active role in keeping drugs that are no longer needed out of our wastewater.
The "No Drugs down the Drain" website provides solutions on how to correctly keep medications out of the environment. Beginning to think about them they same way we do household chemicals is a good first step.
