Charlotte and Sarasota counties offer options for safe drug disposal

 By BOB MASSEY
 FEELING FIT CORRESPONDENT


I f there's one area where federal
 and state laws don't agree, it's in
 the disposal of unwanted or out-
dated medications.
 The U.S. Food and Drug
Administration (FDA) and the White
House Office of National Drug
Control Policy recommend that
certain medications to be disposed
by flushing them down a drain or
toilet. The reasoning behind this is to
reduce the danger of unintentional
use or overdose and illegal abuse. In
April 2011, the Florida Department
of Health declared prescription drug
misuse and abuse a state public
health emergency.
 This policy has met with the ire of
environmentalists and some states -
Florida being among them.
 The Florida Department of
Environmental Protection (DEP) also
states that, 'Although this method
of disposal prevents immediate
accidental ingestion, it can cause
contamination in our aquatic envi-
ronment because wastewater treat-
ment systems, including septic tanks,
are not designed to remove many of
these medications."
 The problem is that most waste wa-
ter and water treatment facilities do
not have the ability to filter out many
medications, the Florida Department
of Health in Charlotte County says.
The result is trace amounts of medi-
cations in potable water.
 'As yet, it is unknown what, if any
impact these trace amounts have on
humans, our pets and other living
organisms," the local health depart-
ment says. The issue is, however, un-
der study by the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency.
 If you think using bottled water is
an alternative, you need to know that
it carries no guarantee that medica-
tions haven't leached in.
 What makes matters worse in
Charlotte County is the amount of
properties that use a septic tank
system and those do not filter
medications at all. So when you
take medications and excrete them
from your body, they enter the water
system and, eventually, the water
that we drink.
 It's clear that many medications
contain compounds that cause some
concern, such as synthetic estrogen
used in hormone replacement thera-
py which may interfere or change
the normal processes of hormones
within an organism.
 Sedatives can have an effect on the
activity of the central nervous sys-
tem. Antibiotics even at minimal
levels can result in the develop-
ment of antibiotic-resistant strains
of harmful bacteria. There are other
substances, too such as pesticides
or the flame retardant coatings on
television and computer monitor
plastic housings.
 These substances may be found
in very low concentrations in sur-
face water, ground water, domestic
wastewater, industrial wastewater,
agricultural runoff, reclaimed wa-
ter, and other waters. Granted, the


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PHOTO PROVIDED


In this Sun file photo, Operation Medicine Cabinet brought 1368.7 pounds of unwanted or unused prescription medications for safe and proper
disposal. "The Punta Gorda Fire Department, Charlotte County Sheriff, and Drug Free Charlotte County, offer Operation Medicine Cabinet, a program
to remove and properly dispose of unused/unneeded prescription medications. Residents will be able to deposit unused and expired medications
into the Vault (drop box) for proper disposal, no questions asked. All participants will remain anonymous;'says the Florida Department of Health in
Charlotte County.

 DROP BOX LOCATIONS IN CHARLOTTE AND SARASOTA COUNTIES il- SheriffThomas M.Knight "1I


There are three drop box locations in Charlotte County:
-Punta Gorda Fire Department, 1410 TamiamiTrail, Punta Gorda.
-Charlotte County Sheriff District-i Office, 6868 San Casa Road, Englewood.
-Charlotte County Sheriff District-4 Office in Promenades Mall, Port Charlotte.
For more information, visit www.floridahealth.gov/chdcharlotte/eh/
MedDisposal.html.
There are three locations in Sarasota County where controlled substances can
be dropped off:
-Sarasota County Sheriff's Office, 2071 Ringling Blvd., Sarasota.
-Sarasota County Sheriff's Office, 4531 State Road 776, Venice.
-North Port Police Department, 4980 City Hall Blvd., North Port.
Dispose of non-controlled medications at Sarasota County Waste Management
Centers. Contact 941-861-5000 and ask for Solid Waste customer service.
For more information, visit www.dep.state.fl.us/waste/quicktopics/
publications/documents/SafeRxDisposalFlierSarasotaCounty.pdf


concentrations of these substances
are hundreds or thousands of times
lower than the therapeutic dosages
found in the medications that we
take, but research shows there can be
effects on aquatic organisms such as
fish and frogs.
 The amount of these substances
can be reduced by properly disposing
of them and flushing them down
the drain or toilet is not it.
 The DEP emphasizes that residents
should use a disposal site or collec-
tion event, or disposing of medica-
tions in the trash.
 "The Punta Gorda Fire Department,
Charlotte County Sheriff and
Drug Free Charlotte County offer
'Operation Medicine Cabinet,' a pro-
gram to remove and properly dispose
of unused or expired prescription
medications," the Charlotte County


health department states. "Residents
can deposit the medications into the
Vault (drop box) for proper disposal,
no questions asked and with all
participants remaining anonymous.
 The goal of the program is to elimi-
nate dangerous and potentially dead-
ly prescription drugs before they fall
into the wrong hands. But it carries
the additional benefit of preventing
the improper disposal that can have
an impact on the environment.
 The DEP also recommends these
guidelines when disposing of
medications:
 *Keep the medicines in the original
container. This will help identify


A Prescrlptlon for a Safe Community andaClean Environment I [


Sarasota County also runs an Operation Medi-
cine Cabinet program. Above, this Operation
Medicine Cabinet sign listing the dirctions
for citizens to dispose of their drugs is posted
directly above the drop box.
the contents if they are accidentally
ingested.
 *Mark out your name and prescrip-
tion number for safety.
 *For pills: Add some water or soda
to start dissolving them. For liquids:
Add something inedible like cat litter,
dirt or cayenne pepper.
 *Close the lid and secure with duct
or packing tape.
 *Place the bottle(s) inside an
opaque (non- see-through) container
like a coffee can or plastic laundry
bottle.
 *Tape that container closed.
 *Hide the container in the trash. Do
not put in the recycle bin.


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