A wide range of medicines are in the drinking water of 24 major metropolitan cities, according to Washington’s “Take Back Your Meds” initiative. Drugs expire and it’s hard to dispose of them in a proper manner. For RBHS, such an option is available at its own “Take Back Your Meds” tomorrow, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Oct. 22 in front of the RBHS circle drive.
Chief Deputy for Boone County’s Sheriff’s Department Tom Reddin thinks the Take-Back will help Columbians have a better understanding about drug safety and proper disposal.
“The Washington ‘Take Back Your Meds’ program has found that more than 75,000 pounds in pharmaceutical pollution have been collected in about two years, demonstrating the large volume of waste medicines that can be kept out of our environment,” Reddin said. “The Prescription Drug Take Back program is a program sponsored by the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) in an effort to provide citizens with a convenient and no cost way to dispose of unused and no longer needed medications.  This program enlists the help of local law enforcement agencies to set up collection sites for folks to drop off their unwanted medications, which are later turned over to the DEA for proper disposal.”
According to the Washington study, wastewater treatment facilities don’t destroy pharmaceuticals that are flushed. Most drugs pass through treatment plants and into surface, ground and marine waters.
“The benefits of this program are many fold,” Reddin said. “It provides the community with convenient disposal, it prevents the medications from being used or distributed inappropriately or used by those that were not meant to use it, and it protects the environment, as medications then do not get flushed down the toilet, potentially causing contamination of ground source water supplies.”
Fish, including Columbia aquatic life, are also affected by the pollution of pharmaceutical drugs. According to takebackyourmeds.org, researchers observed changes in aquatic behavior and their reproduction rate. All it takes is a low level of medicine to pollute Columbia’s water systems and cause havoc on its fish life and ecosystem.
“Everyone should take advantage of this event, students, staff, Mom, Dad, Grandma, Grandpa, everyone,” Reddin said. “Prescription drug abuse and overdoses on prescription medication are increasing and it’s a community health problem. Prescription drug overdoses are more common than overdoses from street drugs, and unfortunately, young people in our community are one of the highest risk groups, The medications are collected from each site, and then stored at the Sheriff’s Department for a few days until the DEA picks them up from us. The DEA is contracted with incineration facilities around the country that conform to EPA standards.  The medications are incinerated in these facilities.”
Nurse Lisa Griggs believes the Take-Back is an event that helps the community dispose of expired drugs in a health conscious manner. She said that the students and staff of RBHS could use this event to get out and contribute to Boone County in a small but lasting way.
“I believe the Take-Back will help us as well as help people be more aware of drug responsibility. I myself will be there as well,” Griggs said.
According to the U.S. Department of Justice, one-third of prescription and over-the-counter medicines go unused or expired, creating questions on how to safely dispose of them. Senior Case Davis releases the effects that is brought on by expired drugs that linger in Columbia.
“Take-Back is important because it eliminates the ineffectiveness or otherwise harmful effects drugs that out of date drugs could have on someone,” Davis said.