California celebrates “No Drugs Down the Drain Week”

Concerned about growing warnings of significant levels of pharmaceuticals being found in drinking water, the state California has teamed with the EPA to organize “No Drugs Down the Drain Week” beginning October 2nd. Special collection sites have been set up to dispose of unused drugs, but officials say that throwing unwanted drugs in the trash is also better than flushing them down the toilet or washing them down the drain.

A recent report by the Associated Press showed that small amounts of pharmaceuticals, from antibiotics to anti-convulsants and mood stabilizers, are in the drinking water used by at least 46 million people in this country. Even minute amounts of these drugs have been found to harm aquatic animals, and laboratory research has found that human cell growth is disrupted by exposure to trace amounts of some pharmaceuticals.

For the full story, go to the Associated Press.