Don't flush your old medicines
By estherlou
@estherlou (5015)
United States
November 6, 2007 9:27am CST
It seems that "antibiotics, hormones and other drugs are being found in waterways, raising worrisome questions about potential health and environmental effects. Already, studies have linked hormone exposure to fish abnormalities. Germs exposed to antibiotics in the environment may become more drug-resistant." We are now encouraged to mix our old drugs with cat or dog poop, or used cat litter or sawdust, or old coffee grounds. Why? to keep kids or pets or drug abusers from using the old drugs they may accidentally find. I remember flushing old stuff away and I've also just tossed them in the trash. Hmmm...very interesting.
http://www.cnn.com/2007/HEALTH/11/05/tossing.drugs.ap/index.html
8 people like this
13 responses
@crazynurse (7482)
• United States
15 Nov 07
Wow, what an interesting article! For years we in the healthcare industry have taught folks to flush their old medicines! Seems if we put them in the trash (even mixed with something as you described) they will still end up in the landfills and perhaps leech into the soil. I guess that is still better than into waterways. Very interesting article indeed. Thanks for the post!
2 people like this
@ChaJudLeoBit (1656)
• United States
24 Nov 07
I have never flushed old medication. If it's too old to use, I just throw it away. I don't have to worry about children getting into it, so the trash works fine. Interesting story.
1 person likes this
@GardenGerty (160908)
• United States
8 Nov 07
I wonder about grinding them up with a pill crusher and mixing them in with kitty litter? I have heard in some communities you dispose of them at the toxic household waste disposal area, along with old paint, and outdated cleaning supplies. Never heard to put them in the kitty litter.
1 person likes this
@MsTickle (25180)
• Australia
9 Nov 07
We're encouraged to return our unused medicines etc to the chemist or our family doctor. I've not flushed anything ever but I have thrown plastic bottles away in the trash.
This is something we all need to think about. There should be things in place to handle these sorts of things.
@ricknkae (1721)
• United States
16 Nov 07
I would not have thought about doing that but I think it is a great discussion you started so that anyone who was doing it without realizing that will stop from now on
...at least I hope so
It becomes very dangerous of our waters are contaminated
So what shoudl we do? I usually toss them in the trash ... is that bad ? :(
@CatsandDogs (13963)
• United States
9 Nov 07
I had often wondered about the safty of flushing medicines down the toilet. It had to effect something along the way and come to find out, it does. But we did it with good intentions, no doubt but it's good to know now before the total damage is done. Thanks for passing that on!
1 person likes this
@anjalisk2005 (1492)
• India
7 Nov 07
hmmmmmm never thought of this but now that u got it to my notice i will be careful hile disposing medicines,till now i have been throwing them with the trash..some of my friends just put them or rather throw them in the gatrdens they say its a good plant fertilizer!!
1 person likes this
@slickcut (8141)
• United States
7 Nov 07
Yes i do flush my old perscriptions down the tolet, but i did not know that it was causing a health problem..I always did it to avoid any of my grandchildren or my animals getting hold of them accidently..Maybe i should give it more though as how to dispose of my old perscriptions...I have also tossed them in the trash as well.I guess i will not do it anymore since it is causing problems...Thank you for this important news ...we do not need any more problems with the invironment..
1 person likes this
@jillmalitz (5131)
• United States
6 Nov 07
OMG! I remember when we were told to flush them when they were no good or not necessary any more! Considering some dogs like to eat poop I dont think I would consider mixing those meds with poop. Sometimes I really think we are destroying our planet and we dont even know it.
1 person likes this
@circuscat (76)
• Australia
7 Nov 07
That is a worry! I normally just toss expired medicines in the trash I will have to use another way to dipose of them. Probably coffee grounds since I don't own any pets!
Thanks for telling us.
1 person likes this
@blackbriar (9076)
• United States
7 Nov 07
I read bout this several months ago and never dawned on me that we could be creating 'killer' bacteria and such by flushing our old meds. I now bury them in my backyard or the woods around me.
1 person likes this
@faith210 (11224)
• Philippines
7 Nov 07
Hi estherlou! That is really good information. Somehow, I have always take that for granted and it is somehow irresponsible of me that I have never think of the consequences of my action even in that very simple action of throwing my old and expired medicines and just fluching them in the toilet. Now, I know better. Thanks for this information. Take care and have a nice day.
1 person likes this
@spacecreature (114)
• United States
7 Nov 07
Yes that is very interesting indeed I am surprised to hear that. I will absolutly never flush my old prescriptions again. Thanks for the info
