[Pharmwaste] Rep. Lucido in Michigan asks "What are we putting in our water?"

[Margaret Shield]

Interesting opinion piece from a Republican state legislator in
Michigan..aware of the problem, cares about water quality, likes secure
medicine take-back, but who is he suggesting should take action?  Personal
responsibility clearly has a huge role in safe and secure medicine disposal,
but personal responsibility alone does not finance and operate convenient
medicine drop-off locations that meet community needs.  Clearly a
conversation starter though.

 

Lucido: What are we putting in our water?

Morning Sun (Mt. Pleasant, MI)

http://www.themorningsun.com/opinion/20170606/lucido-what-are-we-putting-in-
our-water 

 

By Peter Lucido

 

Food. Water. Shelter. Three things we as humans cannot live without. As a
state representative, I am constantly in the mindset of protecting the
health and welfare of my family, my friends and everyone in my district and
county. Recently, the Flint water crisis has caused a spark of discussion
not only in Metro Detroit but nationwide, regarding the importance of having
safe water to drink for the pubic.

Disposal of medications in water is something that is rarely discussed in
the news, but be a contributor to many health problems in the future.
Improper disposal of pharmaceutical medications ranges far beyond occasional
disposal by random people, to the routine and large scale dumping of
medicines into our sewage system. Unfortunately, this dumping is not only by
members of the public, but is also being performed by our health care
systems we entrust to our health and well-being. There is a lack of
appropriate routes of disposal for consumers at home and for narcotic
disposal in hospitals. What will the effects of this be 20, 30, 40 years
from now?

Macomb County has multiple hospitals and medical centers, and I cannot
imagine the amount of narcotics that are dumped into the water system by not
only our facilities, but nationwide.

The Food and Drug Administration even has a list of medications on their
website which includes "expired, unwanted, or unused medicines you should
flush down the sink or toilet to help prevent danger to people and pets in
the home." But what about the people or pets drinking that water? Potential
health concerns from the presence of pharmaceuticals in drinking water
include increased risk of developing cancer, reproductive impairment, and
the selection and development of antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

The problem is that current water treatment plants are not equipped with the
technology to filter many of the active chemical compounds that make up
prescription drugs, causing America's waters to be tainted by low
concentrations of various pharmaceuticals. These antibiotics, hormone
chemicals and narcotic waste all not only enter our bodies but have negative
effects on the fish and wildlife in our lakes, rivers, and streams as well.

Although The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) hosts National
Prescription Drug Take-Back events where community members can safely
dispose of their unwanted and unused prescription drugs, these are few and
far between. The website disposemymeds.org allows consumers to enter their
zip code and find pharmacies that will accept their unwanted medications.
Upon searching, I located eight pharmacies within a 20-mile radius of my
house. I've been an attorney for nearly 30 years and have dealt with many
cases involving drug abuse, however it was only after specific research that
I was informed about this resource for the public.

We as the community must hold ourselves and others accountable for the safe
disposal of unused prescription medications. Should we wait until scientists
can link disease to the contamination of our water with pharmaceutical
agents? With the overwhelming amount of funds dedicated to promoting health
to prevent future disease, I believe that water safety and the proper
disposal of medications needs to be further examined. Your health could
depend on it.

Peter J. Lucido is state representative for the 36th District.

 

 

Margaret Shield, PhD

Community Environmental Health Strategies, LLC

Smart Science & Policy for Our Health and Environment

Seattle, WA 

 <mailto:margaret.shield at CEHstrategies.com>
margaret.shield at CEHstrategies.com

mobile:  206-499-5452

 <http://www.CEHstrategies.com> www.CEHstrategies.com 

 

 

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