Sludge Watch ==> Los Angeles - No drugs down the drain campaign comes up lame

[maureen.reilly at sympatico.ca]

Sludgewatch Admin

At the risk of being considered critical...I'd like to characterize this 
'campaign on drug diversion from the sewers as dangerously flawed and 
inadaquate.


1. It is directed only at consumers...not at pharmacies, hospitals, nursing 
homes or pharmacuetical manufacturers, or other corporate scale users, 
creators, dispensors of drugs.  These are the places that send unused 
medications wholesale into the sewers.  They have hazmat pick ups...they 
need to use them for these medications instead of using the toilet.

2. Many drugs are addictive, poisonous, or have value as an illegal street 
drug.  To put these out in the trash as recommended by the Orange County 
Sanitation District and LA Sanitation is to promote death and drug abuse in 
your neighborhood.  Get your garbage rifled to find the prize.

Children, addicts, deals, pets.. all of these are an issue.  Garbage 
collectors could have a sideline retailing used prescription drugs out the 
back of the garbage truck. Landfills could fill with midnight scavangers.


What's a better way?

Why not have a corporate 'take-back' program at each local pharmacy.  People 
could drop of the half used medications back to the drug store of 
pharmacy...who would run the service as part of lifecycle responsibility 
stewartship.

  Goodness knows pharmaceutical companies are rich enough these days to send 
around the hazmat truck for regular pick up and destruction.  And 
pharmacists are already held to account for their drug inventory, so they 
could also safely inventory and safeguard the staledated or unused 
medications.



And send the hazmat truck over to the dentists' offices while you at it, and 
pick up the dental amalgam that is picked out of their drains and sink traps 
for recycling.
.....................................................................


>From Deirdre Bingman, dbingman at ocsd.com.

Los Angeles No Drugs Down the Drain Campaign.

The Orange County Sanitation District (OCSD) teamed up with the Los Angeles 
County Sanitation District and the City of Los Angeles to develop a public 
education campaign in partnership with the California Pharmacists 
Association and the California Poison Control System. The purpose of the 
campaign is to reduce the improper disposal of pharmaceuticals. The 
campaign's tagline, "No Drugs Down the Drain" is meant to encourage Southern 
California residents, to dispose of their unused or expired medicine in ways 
other than flushing them down the toilet.

The pharmaceutical outreach campaign was launched on March 19, 2006 to 
coincide with the National Prevention Poison Week. The campaign consists of 
an informational Web site http://www.nodrugsdownthedrain.org and drop-in 
cards to be distributed directly to the customers at local pharmacies.  The 
drop-in card provides instructions on how to properly dispose of unused or 
expired medicine. The Web site provides information for an in-depth 
understanding of the program and its importance.

In the past, residents were advised to flush unwanted medicines down the 
toilet; however, wastewater treatment facilities are not designed to remove 
or destroy all chemicals present in pharmaceuticals.  Therefore, 
pharmaceuticals present in wastewater can get into surface water and may 
cause a negative impact to the environment.   There are several alternatives 
when disposing of unwanted medicines. A highly recommended alternative is to 
take your unwanted over-the-counter and prescription medications to a 
Household Hazardous Waste Collection Center or event.  Another option is to 
put in a sturdy and securely sealed container and place them in a trashcan 
where children and pets cannot reach them.  Doing these simple things are 
just one of the many ways local residents can help keep our water safe and 
our ocean clean.  So please take your medicine as prescribed, and remember 
to dispose of unused portions properly.


To view the OCSD Pharmaceuticals Fact Sheet, visit: 
http://www.ocsd.com/civica/inc/displayblobpdf2.asp?BlobID=5423.Editor's 
Note:Both OCSD and the City of Los Angeles are NBP EMS certified agencies.