<html xmlns:v="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" xmlns:o="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" xmlns:w="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word" xmlns:m="http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/2004/12/omml" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40">
<head>
<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=us-ascii">
<meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 15 (filtered medium)">
<style><!--
/* Font Definitions */
@font-face
{font-family:Wingdings;
panose-1:5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0;}
@font-face
{font-family:"Cambria Math";
panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4;}
@font-face
{font-family:Calibri;
panose-1:2 15 5 2 2 2 4 3 2 4;}
@font-face
{font-family:Verdana;
panose-1:2 11 6 4 3 5 4 4 2 4;}
@font-face
{font-family:Palatino;}
/* Style Definitions */
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
{margin:0in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;}
a:link, span.MsoHyperlink
{mso-style-priority:99;
color:#0563C1;
text-decoration:underline;}
a:visited, span.MsoHyperlinkFollowed
{mso-style-priority:99;
color:#954F72;
text-decoration:underline;}
p
{mso-style-priority:99;
mso-margin-top-alt:auto;
margin-right:0in;
mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;
margin-left:0in;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;}
span.EmailStyle18
{mso-style-type:personal;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;
color:windowtext;}
span.EmailStyle19
{mso-style-type:personal-reply;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;
color:#1F497D;}
.MsoChpDefault
{mso-style-type:export-only;
font-size:10.0pt;}
@page WordSection1
{size:8.5in 11.0in;
margin:1.0in 1.0in 1.0in 1.0in;}
div.WordSection1
{page:WordSection1;}
/* List Definitions */
@list l0
{mso-list-id:1612933578;
mso-list-type:hybrid;
mso-list-template-ids:-120440220 67698689 67698691 67698693 67698689 67698691 67698693 67698689 67698691 67698693;}
@list l0:level1
{mso-level-start-at:408;
mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:\F0B7;
mso-level-tab-stop:none;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;
font-family:Symbol;
mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";}
@list l0:level2
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:o;
mso-level-tab-stop:none;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;
font-family:"Courier New";}
@list l0:level3
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:\F0A7;
mso-level-tab-stop:none;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;
font-family:Wingdings;}
@list l0:level4
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:\F0B7;
mso-level-tab-stop:none;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;
font-family:Symbol;}
@list l0:level5
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:o;
mso-level-tab-stop:none;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;
font-family:"Courier New";}
@list l0:level6
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:\F0A7;
mso-level-tab-stop:none;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;
font-family:Wingdings;}
@list l0:level7
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:\F0B7;
mso-level-tab-stop:none;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;
font-family:Symbol;}
@list l0:level8
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:o;
mso-level-tab-stop:none;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;
font-family:"Courier New";}
@list l0:level9
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:\F0A7;
mso-level-tab-stop:none;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;
font-family:Wingdings;}
ol
{margin-bottom:0in;}
ul
{margin-bottom:0in;}
--></style><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapedefaults v:ext="edit" spidmax="1026" />
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapelayout v:ext="edit">
<o:idmap v:ext="edit" data="1" />
</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]-->
</head>
<body lang="EN-US" link="#0563C1" vlink="#954F72">
<div class="WordSection1">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt"><b>From:</b> "Mitchell, Gwen" <<a href="mailto:Gwen.Mitchell@ceo.sccgov.org">Gwen.Mitchell@ceo.sccgov.org</a>><br>
<b>Date:</b> May 19, 2015 at 1:46:30 PM PDT<br>
<br>
<b><span style="color:#1F497D"><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt"><b>Subject:</b> <b>News Release: County Makes Pharmaceutical Companies Responsible for Collection and Disposal of Unwanted Over-the-Counter and Prescription Drugs
</b><o:p></o:p></p>
<blockquote style="margin-top:5.0pt;margin-bottom:5.0pt">
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><b><u><span style="font-size:9.5pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif">FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE</span></u></b><b><span style="font-size:9.5pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif">
</span></b><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><span style="font-size:9.5pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><span style="font-size:9.5pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif">May 19, 2015
</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><span style="font-size:9.5pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><span style="font-size:9.5pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif">Contact: Gwen Mitchell/Laurel Anderson</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:.5in;text-indent:.5in;text-autospace:none">
<span style="font-size:9.5pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif">Office of Public Affairs</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:.5in;text-indent:.5in;text-autospace:none">
<span style="font-size:9.5pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif">(408) 299-5119</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:.5in;text-indent:.5in;text-autospace:none">
<span style="font-size:9.5pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><span style="font-size:9.5pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif">
</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center;text-autospace:none">
<b><span style="font-size:18.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif">County Makes </span>
</b><b><span lang="EN" style="font-size:18.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:black">Pharmaceutical Companies
</span></b><b><span style="font-size:18.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif">Responsible for
</span></b><b><span lang="EN" style="font-size:18.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:black">Collection and Disposal of Unwanted
</span></b><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center;text-autospace:none">
<b><span lang="EN" style="font-size:18.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:black">Over-the-Counter and Prescription Drugs
</span></b><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><i><span lang="EN" style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:black">County Now Disposes of 35,000 pounds of Unwanted Medications from Residents Yearly</span></i><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%;text-autospace:none"><b><span lang="EN" style="font-size:9.5pt;line-height:150%;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:black"> </span></b><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%;text-autospace:none"><b><span lang="EN" style="font-size:9.5pt;line-height:150%;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:black">SANTA CLARA COUNTY, CALIF.—</span></b><span lang="EN" style="font-size:9.5pt;line-height:150%;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:black">
Today, the County of Santa Clara Board of Supervisors took the first step toward adopting a Safe Drug Disposal Ordinance requiring pharmaceutical companies that have profited from drugs sold in the county, to design, operate, and fund a program to safely dispose
of residents’ unwanted drugs. Since 2008, the County has operated the pharmaceutical drop-off program and collected and disposed of approximately 35,000 pounds of unwanted and expired over-the-counter and prescription drugs from county residents each year</span><span style="font-size:9.5pt;line-height:150%;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif">.
Now, that responsibility will be placed with the companies that actually profit from these drug sales.
</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span lang="EN" style="font-size:9.5pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:black"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%;text-autospace:none"><span lang="EN" style="font-size:9.5pt;line-height:150%;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:black">“We are taking decisive action to hold pharmaceutical manufacturers accountable for the safe
disposal of over-the-counter and prescription drugs in Santa Clara County,” said President Dave Cortese, County of Santa Clara Board of Supervisors. “The new ordinance requiring manufacturer responsibility will make it easier for residents to safely dispose
of these medications, helping to reduce risks to health.”</span><b><span lang="EN" style="font-size:9.5pt;line-height:150%;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:red">
</span></b><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span lang="EN" style="font-size:9.5pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:black"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%;text-autospace:none"><span style="font-size:9.5pt;line-height:150%;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif">Each year, more than 9,000 young children nationwide are hospitalized after accidentally ingesting prescription
drugs. And drug overdose deaths have been rising steadily over the past two decades. Every day in the United States, 113 people die from a drug overdose, and another 6,748 are treated in emergency departments for misuse or abuse of drugs. Nearly nine out of
10 poisoning deaths are caused by drugs. In 2011, 80 percent of <span style="color:black">
the 41,340 drug overdose deaths in the United States were unintentional.</span></span><span lang="EN" style="font-size:9.5pt;line-height:150%;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:black"> Not only is there harm to individuals, the environment is also harmed
by improper disposal.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:150%"><span lang="EN" style="font-size:9.5pt;line-height:150%;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:black"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%"><span style="font-size:9.5pt;line-height:150%;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif">“Without easy access to proper pharmaceutical disposal, consumers too often throw their unused medicines in the trash or flush them
down the toilet. From there, those drugs end up in our waterways,” said Supervisor Ken Yeager, who proposed the measure. “We have to hold pharmaceutical companies accountable for the products they sell.”</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%"><span style="font-size:9.5pt;line-height:150%;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:150%"><span lang="EN" style="font-size:9.5pt;line-height:150%;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:black">Municipal wastewater treatment plants are not designed to remove the complex compounds in drugs
that end up in the sewer system. Numerous studies have shown that pharmaceutical compounds in surface waters can harm aquatic organisms, such as, fish; some also indicate that these compounds may encourage growth of antibiotic-resistant bacteria.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:150%"><span lang="EN" style="font-size:9.5pt;line-height:150%;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:black"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%"><span lang="EN" style="font-size:9.5pt;line-height:150%;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif">“</span><span style="font-size:9.5pt;line-height:150%;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif">Many people stockpile pharmaceuticals
because they know intuitively they should not flush them down sinks or toilets,”
<span style="background:white">said Robert D’Arcy, Hazardous Materials Program Manager.
</span> “</span><span lang="EN" style="font-size:9.5pt;line-height:150%;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif">According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,
</span><span style="font-size:9.5pt;line-height:150%;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;background:white">deaths from prescription painkillers have reached epidemic levels in the past decade.”
</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:150%"><span lang="EN" style="font-size:9.5pt;line-height:150%;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:black"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:150%"><span lang="EN" style="font-size:9.5pt;line-height:150%;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:black">This new program will eventually replace the existing County-run drug disposal programs and create
far more than the current 15 medicine drop-off locations dispersed throughout the county to serve 1.86 million residents.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span lang="EN" style="font-size:9.5pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:black"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%;text-autospace:none"><span lang="EN" style="font-size:9.5pt;line-height:150%;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:black">Making the pharmaceutical companies responsible for disposal is consistent with a resolution
adopted by the Board of Supervisors in 2007, in support of</span><span lang="EN" style="font-size:9.5pt;line-height:150%;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif"> Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR), which places the responsibility for end-of-life management of
consumer products and encourages the manufacturing of products that minimize negative impacts on human health and the environment at every stage of a product’s lifecycle.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:150%"><span lang="EN" style="font-size:9.5pt;line-height:150%;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:black"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:150%"><span style="font-size:9.5pt;line-height:150%;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:black">Once the ordinance goes into effect, pharmaceutical companies will have one year to submit a plan for safe
drug disposal in the county. That plan must include: </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="mso-margin-top-alt:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:0in;margin-left:.5in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent:-.25in;line-height:150%;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo2">
<![if !supportLists]><span style="font-family:Symbol"><span style="mso-list:Ignore">·<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"">
</span></span></span><![endif]><span style="font-size:9.5pt;line-height:150%;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:black">Establishing over 90 secure drug disposal drop boxes in pharmacies and law enforcement agencies throughout the county;
</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="mso-margin-top-alt:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:0in;margin-left:.5in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent:-.25in;line-height:150%;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo2">
<![if !supportLists]><span style="font-family:Symbol"><span style="mso-list:Ignore">·<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"">
</span></span></span><![endif]><span style="font-size:9.5pt;line-height:150%;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:black">Giving homebound and disabled residents the option of sending in unwanted drugs by mail;</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="mso-margin-top-alt:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:0in;margin-left:.5in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent:-.25in;line-height:150%;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo2">
<![if !supportLists]><span style="font-family:Symbol"><span style="mso-list:Ignore">·<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"">
</span></span></span><![endif]><span lang="EN" style="font-size:9.5pt;line-height:150%;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:black">Holding periodic public drug collection events; and</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="mso-margin-top-alt:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:0in;margin-left:.5in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent:-.25in;line-height:150%;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo2">
<![if !supportLists]><span style="font-family:Symbol"><span style="mso-list:Ignore">·<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"">
</span></span></span><![endif]><span lang="EN" style="font-size:9.5pt;line-height:150%;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:black">Securely transports and destroys drugs at a permitted waste disposal facility, in compliance with state and federal law.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="mso-margin-top-alt:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:0in;margin-left:.5in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:150%">
<span lang="EN" style="font-size:9.5pt;line-height:150%;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:black"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:150%"><span style="font-size:9.5pt;line-height:150%;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:black">When the County gives final approval to their plans, companies must implement the plans within 3 months.
Until this new program becomes fully operational, the County will continue to operate its current drug disposal system at an estimated cost of $47,000 annually.
</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:150%"><span style="font-size:9.5pt;line-height:150%;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%;text-autospace:none"><span lang="EN" style="font-size:9.5pt;line-height:150%;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:black">“County taxpayers have paid the tab for safe disposal of unwanted drugs for far too long,”
said County Executive Jeffrey V. Smith. “Requiring drug companies to expand the number of secure drop off locations in Santa Clara County appropriately places the responsibility for ensuring that unwanted drugs are not misused or abused on the companies that
profited from the sale of those drugs.” </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:9.5pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:black"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%"><span style="font-size:9.5pt;line-height:150%;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:black">To find a local drop-off location, residents may call 408-299-7300 or go to
<a href="http://www.hhw.org/">www.hhw.org</a> for a list of drop-off locations. </span>
<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%"><span style="font-size:9.5pt;line-height:150%;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:black"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%"><span style="font-size:9.5pt;line-height:150%;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:black">The Board voted 3-0 to pass the ordinance. Supervisors Wasserman and Simitian recused themselves.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p align="center" style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:center;line-height:150%">
<span lang="EN" style="font-size:9.5pt;line-height:150%;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:black"># # #</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Palatino"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><i>Gwendolyn Mitchell</i></b><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><i>Director, Office of Public Affairs</i></b><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">County of Santa Clara<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">70 West Hedding Street, 11<sup>th</sup> Floor East<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">San Jose, CA 95110<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Phone: 408-299-5151 <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Fax: 408-295-2192<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></p>
</div>
</blockquote>
</div>
</body>
</html>