NO DRUGS DOWN THE DRAIN

What happens when unused medications are flushed down the toilet or put in the drain?

Unused medications that are flushed down the toilet or placed in drains pass through the sewer system and eventually enter our streams, lakes, and rivers.

Because medications have been detected in small amounts in surface water bodies, the major concerns have been increased bacterial resistance to antibiotics and interference with growth and reproduction in aquatic organisms such as fish and frogs.

The presence of medications in the environment is a complex issue and the level of risk to humans and the environment is still being determined.  With tens of thousands of medicinal products currently on the market and with more being developed each year, it is not definitively known which products (or combinations of products) is a problem or what the long-term risks are.  However, in order to minimize the potential negative and irreversible impacts on the environment, it is important that we limit the disposal of waste medications to the sewer.

Better options for disposal

1. Take to a household hazardous waste collection center or event

Community Hazardous Waste Collection
University of California and Santa Barbara (UCSB)
Mesa Road , Building 565
Goleta , CA 93117
(805) 882-3602

Hours: 9:00 am to 3:00 pm and on Sundays from 11:00 am to 3:00 pm

In all other areas, first check with your city or county to determine whether their household hazardous waste collections accept medications. It is illegal for household hazardous waste centers to accept certain prescription medications known as "controlled substances". These are drugs that have a potential for addiction and/or abuse such as narcotics and tranquilizers. Common controlled substances include codeine, phenobarbitol, and anabolic steroids. If you don't know if your prescription is a controlled substance, check with your doctor or pharmacist. If they tell you that it is a controlled substance, dispose of it as described in #2, taking care that all of the recommended steps are followed.

or:

2. Put in a sturdy and securely sealed container and then in a trash can where children and pets can't reach them. To avoid accidental and intentional ingestion follow these steps:

• Safety
  When possible, all medications put in the trash should be " treated" in some way to prevent people and animals from eating them. You can do this by simply adding water and then salt, ashes from the fireplace or barbeque pit, or dirt from the yard to pills or capsules in a bottle or by adding salt, ashes, or dirt to liquid medications. Wrap several layers of masking tape or duct tape to cover and hide blister packs (pills in a card). Learn more at www.moea.state.mn.us/hhw/pharmaceuticals.cfm. It is also wise to place the medications in the trash as close to the pick-up time as possible so there is less chance that the medicine can fall into the wrong hands.
  
  
• Container
  Use the original container with safety caps, if available, and tape the lid to the container with duct tape or another type of sturdy tape. It is a good idea to use a plastic container when disposing of liquid in a glass bottle to contain the spill if the bottle breaks. Hide all medications in an outer container such as a paper bag, box, or plastic tub and wrap in several layers of newspaper to prevent discovery and removal from the trash.