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Added July 30, 2010
Drivers on Prescription Drugs Are Hard to Convict
The accident that killed Kathryn Underdown had all the markings of a drunken-driving case. The car that hit her as she rode her bicycle one May evening in
Miller Place
,
N.Y.
, did not stop
, the police said
, until it crashed into another vehicle farther down the road.
The driver could not keep her eyes open during an interview with investigators
, according to the complaint against her
, and her speech was slow and slurred. But the driver told the police that she had not been drinking; instead
, the complaint said
, she had taken several prescription medications
, including a sedative and a muscle relaxant.
She was charged with vehicular manslaughter and driving under the influence of drugs — an increasingly common offense
, law enforcement officials say
, at a time when drunken-driving deaths are dropping and when prescriptions for narcotic painkillers
, anti-anxiety medications
, sleep aids and other powerful drugs are rampant.
The issue is vexing police officials because
, unlike with alcohol
, there is no agreement on what level of drugs in the blood impairs driving.
The behavioral effects of prescription medication vary widely
, depending not just on the drug but on the person taking it. Some
, like anti-anxiety drugs
, can dull alertness and slow reaction time; others
, like stimulants
, can encourage risk-taking and hurt the ability to judge distances. Mixing prescriptions
, or taking them with alcohol or illicit drugs
, can exacerbate impairment and sharply increase the risk of crashing
, researchers say.
“In the past it was cocaine
, it was PCP
, it was marijuana
,” said Chuck Hayes of the International Association of Chiefs of Police. “Now we’re into this prescription drug era that is giving us a whole new challenge.”
The police also struggle with the challenge of prosecuting someone who was taking valid prescriptions.
“How do we balance between people who legitimately need their prescriptions and protecting the public?” said Mark Neil
, senior lawyer at the
National
Traffic
Law
Center
, which works with prosecutors. “It becomes a very delicate balance.”
Some states have made it illegal to drive with any detectable level of prohibited drugs in the blood. But setting any kind of limit for prescription medications is far more complicated
, partly because the complex chemistry of drugs makes their effects more difficult to predict than alcohol’s. And determining whether a driver took drugs soon before getting on the road can be tricky
, since some linger in the body for days or weeks.
Many states are confronting the problem as part of a broader effort to keep so-called drugged drivers
, including those under the influence of marijuana and other illegal drugs
, off the road.
“We have a pretty clear message in this country that you don’t drink and drive
,” said R. Gil Kerlikowske
, President Obama’s top drug policy adviser
, who wants to reduce drugged-driving accidents by 10 percent over the next five years. “We need very much to have a similar message when it comes to drugs.”
There is no reliable data on how many drivers are impaired by prescription drugs
, but law enforcement officials say the problem is growing so quickly that states are putting hundreds of police officers through special training to spot signs of drug impairment and clamoring for better technology to detect it.
Even the prevalence of drug-impaired driving is unknown
, since many states combine the arrest data with that for drunken driving. Mr. Kerlikowske points to a 2007 survey by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
, which screened 5
,900 nighttime drivers around the country and found that 16.3 percent tested positive for legal or illegal drugs.
The tests could not determine which drivers were impaired by drugs
, but Mr. Kerlikowske said the results suggested a problem that had “flown below the radar” for too long.
“You don’t want to scare people
,” he said
, “but you certainly want to make them aware of the dangerousness. You can be as deadly behind the wheel with prescription drugs as you can with over-the-limit alcohol
, and you are responsible for your own actions.”
In interviews
, law enforcement officials around the country said anyone who drives while taking prescription drugs is at risk of arrest
, not only those who drive recklessly. In one recent case near
Bangor
,
Me.
, a pickup truck on a rural road was not swerving
, speeding or otherwise hinting that its driver was impaired. A police officer stopped the truck because of its noisy muffler
, then saw that the driver’s eyes were bloodshot and his speech slurred.
A Breathalyzer test found that the driver
, Chester Annance
, had not been drinking. Yet he was arrested based on the officer’s suspicion that he was on drugs
, and a blood test later found opiate painkillers in his system.
Mr. Annance was convicted this month of driving under the influence of drugs. He received seven days in jail
, a three-year license suspension and a fine. He is appealing the conviction.
“You don’t need to wait for a crash to happen before you charge someone
,” said R. Christopher Almy
, the district attorney in
Bangor.
Defense lawyers say that in their zeal to make a statement about drug-impaired driving
, the police are casting too wide a net and unfairly punishing people who are taking prescriptions as directed.
Tara Jenswold-Schipper
, an assistant attorney general in
Wisconsin
, said she usually stuck to cases where drivers had mixed drugs
, exceeded the proper dose or taken controlled medications without a prescription.
In one such case in that state
, a former physician slammed his S.U.V. into a Honda Accord in April 2008
, killing the pregnant driver and her 10-year-old daughter. Prosecutors said the physician
, Mark Benson
, had high levels of the sleep aid Ambien in his system
, as well as Xanax
, an anti-anxiety drug
, and oxycodone
, an opiate painkiller. Mr. Benson was sentenced to 30 years in prison.
Defendants can try to prove that they did not realize their medication would affect their driving
, prosecutors said
, but that argument may not hold up if the bottle had a warning label.
“Would you go home and start a chain saw and cut down a tree?” said Lt. Col. Thomas C. Hejl
, the assistant sheriff in
Calvert County
,
Md. “Why should you get behind the wheel of a vehicle when the same medication has the same side effects?”
Unable to prove impairment with blood tests
, prosecutors in drugged-driving cases rely heavily on the testimony of “drug recognition experts
,” law enforcement officers trained to spot signs of impairment in drivers. But there are only about 7
,000 such officers nationwide
, Mr. Hayes said
, not nearly enough to respond to every traffic stop that may involve drugs.
“When they are involved
,” he said of the experts
, “our chances of convicting people are much higher.”
But persuading a jury to convict someone of impaired driving due to prescription drugs remains difficult except for the most egregious cases
, said Douglas F. Gansler
, the attorney general in
Maryland.
“Because most people on the jury will also likely be taking prescription drugs for some ailment
,” Mr. Gansler said
, “whether it’s Lipitor or allergy pills or whatever it might be
, they might think
, ‘I don’t want that to become criminal.’ ”
Added July 12, 2010
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Active Member Participation Increases Success of Policy and Systems Changes |
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A recent study conducted by researchers at the University of Michigan evaluated the efforts of the Allies Against Asthma Program, demonstrating that community coalitions with highly involved partnerships are the most successful in producing policy and systems change. The results offer useful implications for anti-drug coalitions focusing on policy and systems changes to achieve community-level outcomes.
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation funded the Allies Program to improve the health outcomes of childhood asthma in low-income communities of color. The five-year collaborative effort focused on developing new policy and systems changes through the work of seven community coalitions in diverse regions of the United States. Whether public or organizational, the researchers defined policy change as enacting a new policy, changing existing policy, or changing enforcement of an existing policy. Systems changes occurred when coalitions changed either the structure of a system or the relationship of one or more elements in a particular system (e.g. helping to standardize the practice of vaccinating asthmatics for flu and pneumonia).
The evaluation sought to answer the following questions:
• Did the coalitions produce policy and systems changes within their communities?
• Did health-related outcomes (asthma symptoms among low-income minority children and reported caregiver quality of life) improve in the target groups?
• What level of coalition member involvement was evident when coalitions achieved policy and systems changes?
How did they do it?
The researchers, led by Noreen M. Clark from the University of Michigan’s Center for Managing Chronic Disease, tracked policy and systems changes among the coalitions from 2002 to 2006. Data came from a variety of sources including interviews with key stakeholders, coalition staff, members and leaders, annual coalition reports, published articles, and an online tracking system that coalitions used to document their activities. Trained coalition leaders coded each policy and systems change based on the coalition’s role in the change (e.g. peripheral, significant contribution, leading the change).
To measure health-related outcomes, the researchers conducted interviews in each region with parents or guardians of children aged zero to seventeen with asthma. Researchers interviewed caregivers before the initiation of coalition activities and one year later, reporting on their quality of life and the asthma symptoms of their children. Families from communities with limited or no coalition activities served as a comparison group.
Coalition reports and surveys provided information about community member |
(e.g. schools, hospitals, community-based organizations, government, businesses, etc) involvement in each of the policy and systems changes. In addition, researchers gathered coalition member reports of their level of participation for each policy and systems change through a Coalition Self Assessment survey.
What did they find?
Across the seven regional sites, coalitions successfully implemented 45 policy and 44 systems changes. Children in the Allies Against Asthma Program communities experienced fewer instances of daytime and nighttime symptoms (average of one day) over the past two weeks. Past year nighttime symptoms were also less prevalent among Allies children (average of 26 days).
In addition, children in the Allies communities were two times more likely than children in comparison communities to go from having symptoms at baseline to becoming symptom-free at follow-up. The intervention also positively affected the caregivers. Overall, caregivers felt less angry about their child’s asthma and more in control in terms of asthma management.
The information from the coalition member survey revealed the following four levels of member/stakeholder participation in past year coalition activities:
• core partners (very involved)
• ongoing partners (fairly involved)
• intermittent partners (a little involved) and
• peripheral partners (not at all involved outside of general membership meetings).
Core and ongoing partners in this study reported involvement with the coalition for at least one year.
The most successful coalition sites (highest numbers of policy and systems change) had greater numbers of core or ongoing partners. Those with more partners categorized as intermittent or peripheral achieved less policy and systems change. Specifically, at the most successful site, 40% were core or ongoing partners (19% community-based individuals and organizations). Only 17% of the partners at the least successful coalition site were core or ongoing partners (50% community-based individuals and organizations).
Source:Leach, D.J., Rogelberg, S.G., Warr, P.B, & Burnfield, J.L. (2009) Perceived meeting effectiveness: The role of design characteristics. The Journal of Business and Psychology. 24:65-70 |
Added July 6, 2010
Being a Strict Parent Doesn't Protect Against Youth Drinking, Study Says
June 28, 2010
Research Summary:
Parents who insist on accountability from their kids but lack warmth in their relationships may be setting themselves up for alcohol-related heartache as they raise their children, the Los Angeles Times reported June 24.
Not surprisingly, kids who viewed their parents as indulgent were the most likely to drink heavily, according to researchers at Brigham Young University. However, researchers who compared parenting styles to alcohol consumption among 5,000 adolescents also found that kids whose parents were strict but unsupportive were also big drinkers.
Youths who viewed their parents as both authoritative and warm were the least prone to heavy drinking, the study found. "Authoritative parents tend to be highly demanding and highly responsive," the study said. "They monitor their children closely and provide high levels of support and warmth. Our data suggest that peer encouragement to drink might have less impact when parents are both highly supportive and highly attentive."
The research was published in the July 2010 issue of the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs.
Added June 14, 2010
Misuse of Prescription Drugs Common Among H.S. Students
June 7, 2010
The biennial Youth Risk Behavioral Survey found that male and female students were equally apt to misuse prescription drugs like OxyContin, Vicodin, and Xanax, but white students were more likely to do so than Hispanics or black students.
Researchers also found that 72 percent of students reported they had used alcohol, 37 percent had used marijuana, 6.7 percent had used ecstasy, 6.4 percent had used cocaine, and 4.1 percent had tried methamphetamine.
Added June 8, 2010
Thank you to Gateway Recovery Clinic for this important information....
Keeping Teens Safe During Graduation and the Summer Season
Spring and summer are exciting seasons for teens, especially for those who are graduating or planning to attend other special events. Yet for parents it can be a time of concern and worry that their child’s celebrations may include alcohol or drug use. These concerns are justified by recent statistics that show graduation season to be the most dangerous time of year for teens, with one third of alcohol-related traffic fatalities occurring during the months of April, May and June. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 676 students under the age of 21 were killed in alcohol-related traffic crashes in 2005 during the April through June time period. “Drug and alcohol use by teens is not something to be taken lightly,” says Dr. Neil Capretto, Gateway Rehab medical director. "Substance use can change the direction of a young person’s life physically, emotionally and behaviorally,” he adds. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) cites that parents talking with their teens on a regular basis about the dangers of alcohol and drug use is the most effective prevention effort. In fact, recent reports suggest that students are more concerned about their parents being notified of their underage drinking than they are of the legal consequences. As a result, more colleges and universities are alerting parents whenever their underage children are caught drinking, drunk or possessing alcohol. Gateway Rehab has the following tips for parents to help prevent teen alcohol and drug use.
• Give a clear, consistent message that alcohol and drug use is unacceptable at all times —including graduation— and that use will have severe consequences.
• Be firm, but not judgmental when communicating with teens.
• Be a role model. Be aware of what you say and what you do when celebrating and/or coping with stress. Let your actions match your words.
• Listen to your children. It tells them that they are respected and that their feelings are important.
• Ask questions about your child’s activities after graduation and other events.
If your child is going to an event after graduation, call ahead to make sure that it will be alcohol and drug-free and check to see what measures are in place to keep alcohol and drugs out.
• If your child is going to an event after graduation, call ahead to make sure that it will be alcohol and drug-free and check to see what measures are in place to keep alcohol and drugs out.
• Educate your children regarding the dangers of alcohol or other drugs.
• Spend time together and communicate with each other.
• Praise your child for their positive achievements.
• Be a parent, not a friend. Give children attention and the
assurance that you’ll be there with help, guidance and love.
• Don’t ever let children drink at home. Illegal is illegal at home
or anywhere.
• Let children know that peerpressure can be rejected.
Dr. Capretto recommends to parents who suspect that their child
may be using alcohol or drugs to take action immediately. “I always
tell parents to trust their instincts. If you suspect something is wrong,
99 percent of the time it is, so the sooner you act, the better,” he says.
Added June 4, 2010
A new study by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) reveals daily underage drinking-related visits to hospital emergency departments were 11 percent higher during the Memorial Day weekend than they are on an average day.
The latest Drug Abuse Warning Network (DAWN) report estimates on an average day, there are 519 hospital emergency department visits involving underage alcohol use. For the three-day Memorial Day weekend, however, the number of daily hospital emergency department visits jumped to 577.
The study also shows that the daily level of hospital emergency department visits involving those under age 21 that used alcohol combined with other drugs was 27 percent higher during this holiday weekend than the level on an average day (199 visits versus 156 visits).
"Underage drinking poses an enormous public health risk — approximately 5,000 people die each year from alcohol-related injuries connected to underage drinking," said SAMHSA Administrator Pamela S. Hyde, J.D. "Moreover, studies have shown that children who begin drinking before age 15 are six times more likely to develop alcohol problems than people who start drinking after they reach age 21.
Hyde said, the study highlights the need for parents, families and communities to promote prevention messages and efforts designed to help youth enjoy themselves in ways that don’t involve underage drinking or drug use.
The study was developed as part of the agency’s strategic initiative on data, outcomes, and quality, which is an effort to inform policy makers and service providers on the nature and scope of behavioral health issues. It is based on the 2008 DAWN report. DAWN is a public health surveillance system that monitors drug-related hospital emergency department visits reported throughout the nation.
A copy of the complete study is available at http://www.samhsa.gov/special/SpotlightUnderageDrinking2010.pdf. Information and materials for coalitions on how to help prevent underage drinking are available to download at http://www.underagedrinking.samhsa.gov/.
Added May 21, 2010
ASAP Coalition meets at 9 a.m. on Tuesday, June 1, 2010 at the TMHA Building, 4076 Youngstown Road, Warren. Click here for a meeting agenda.
The following is an article from the Tribune Chronicle. Congratulations to the Warren Police Department for this important safety program to help protect our youth.
Traffic blitz stats released
The police department in Warren issued 58 citations and made four arrests last weekend during a Prom Blitz as part of a high visibility traffic enforcement program.
Of the 58 citations, 46 were for traffic violations, including 38 for speeding and eight for seat-belt use. Twelve citations were issued for other violations, a news release said.
There also were two driving under suspension arrests and two felony arrests, one for aggravated drug trafficking and one for drug abuse. The program is funded by a grant through the Ohio Traffic Safety Office.
Added May 18, 2010
Prescription Drug Recovery a Success!
Thank you to everyone who helped make the first Operation Empty Medicine Cabinet a successful event. Hundreds of unwanted medications were collected. A special thanks to our partners in the event: T.A.G.- Northeast Ohio Drug Enforcement Task Force, Area Agency on Aging 11, Geauga Trumbull Solid Waste Management District and ASAP members Lauren Thorp, Terri Grimmett, Lisa Solley, Janet Valenta, Karen Mamula, and Lt. Jeff Orr. Another event is scheduled for September 29 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at 5138 Enterprise Drive.
Click on this link for the Tribune article: http://www.tribtoday.com/page/content.detail/id/537198.html?nav=5021#
Added April 30, 2010
Game Helps Parents and Children Talk about Alcohol
A new DVD game designed to be played on a computer brings parents and children together to talk about the dangers of underage drinking.
Ready, Set, Listen!, developed by SAMHSA’s Center for Substance Abuse Prevention (CSAP), offers a fun and interactive experience that introduces and reinforces the importance of family discussion on an important subject.
The game has two goals:
1. To increase the number of conversations that parents and caregivers have with children age 9 to 13 about the harms of underage alcohol use.
2. To increase the percentage of children, parents, and caregivers who see underage alcohol use as harmful.
The computer game evolved from a traditional board game format and is available in English and Spanish.
Safe Harbors
The game includes a set of "Safe Harbors," which are guidelines that focus on six principles:
- Establish and maintain good communication with your child.
- Get involved in your child’s life.
- Make clear rules and enforce them with consistency and appropriate consequences.
- Be a positive role model.
- Help your child deal with the need for peer acceptance.
- Monitor your child’s activities.
Some of the ideas included in the "Safe Harbors" encourage parents to get to know their child’s friends and their parents; to allow for daily one-on-one time with their child; to ask for their child’s opinions; and to help their child say no to alcohol offered by peers.
Playing the Game
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The game works best when played with two to six players, both youth and adults together. Three types of game cards are also included.
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- Facts Cards help players learn the facts about alcohol and clear up myths and common misconceptions.
- Feeling Cards open up communication between players by beginning a dialogue about underage drinking and what can be done to prevent it.
- Challenge Cards ask players to respond to made-up situations so they can discuss challenges and problems concerning alcohol.
The DVDs are available to order from SAMHSA’s Health Information Network at 1-877-SAMHSA-7 (1-877-726-4727). For the English-language version of Ready, Set, Listen! ask for publication number SMA09-4469. For the Spanish-language version, ask for publication number SMA09-4470.
For more information about SAMHSA’s efforts to prevent underage drinking, visit the Agency’s Too Smart To Start Web site.
Added Apr 26, 2010:
Prescription Drug Abuse Task Force Holds First Meeting
A group charged with recommending ways to reduce Ohio's growing prescription drug abuse problem kicked off its work with a meeting Wednesday and plans to move quickly toward meeting its first deadline next month. The group is required to submit a report on its work and any recommendations to the General Assembly and governor by May 17. Its second report is due Oct. 1. The Department of Health presented task force members with data on unintentional prescription drug-related deaths. The state averages four deaths per day from unintentional drug poisoning, and Ohio's death rate is increasing faster than the national average. The southern portions of the state have the highest death rate for unintentional drug overdoses with Montgomery County leading the list. Members also heard a presentation on the recommendations of the ODH Poison Action Group/New and Emerging Drug Trends Work Group. Copies of presentations and other information about the Task Force can be found at http://www.odh.ohio.gov/ features/odhfeatures/drugoverdose.aspx.
About K2: Legal Doesn't Equal Safe
K2 is said to mimic marijuana in appearance and effect, yet is legal in Ohio, undetectable in drug tests and being sold in head shops and online (as incense). This chemical combination is a mix of dried herbs and spices sprayed with a synthetic compound similar to THC (the mind-altering ingredient in marijuana). And it’s causing youth to wind up in emergency rooms across the country with side effects ranging from elevated heart rates to hallucinations.
While K2 is currently legal and available in Ohio, it is illegal in most European countries and has recently been banned in Kansas and Missouri (with several other states working to do the same).
Parents: We encourage you to not only be aware of this new drug, but to talk to your child about its dangers.
· K2 was first created as part of a scientific study on marijuana. The recipe made its way into the wrong hands and has since been growing in popularity.
·There are no regulations in Ohio on K2. A minor could currently purchase this drug legally.
·Just because it’s legal does not mean it’s safe.
·Side effects include: rapid heart rates, elevated blood pressure, severe agitation, anxiety, vomiting and hallucinations.
·K2 toxic levels and long-term effects are yet unknown.
Sources: CADCA: Researchers Warn About Dangers of Synthetic Marijuana, Mar. 2010. Live Science: Fake Weed, Real Drug: K2 Causing Hallucinations in Teens, Mar 2010.
Added Apr 19, 2010:
Teens Expect Drinking and Driving on Prom Night, Survey Says
April 13, 2010
Apr 16, 2010
The American Academy of Pediatrics issued a policy statement underscoring the critical role that pediatricians play in discouraging children and teens from drinking alcohol. The policy statement, titled " Alcohol Use by Youth and Adolescents: A Pediatric Concern," will appear in the May issue of Pediatrics.
Alcohol consumption can interfere with adolescent brain development, and use of alcohol early in life is associated with future alcohol-related problems, because it:
• Contributes to the leading causes of teen deaths: accidental injury (particularly car accidents), homicide and suicide
• Increases greatly the chances teens will engage in other risky actions such as substance use, unsafe sex and violent behavior
• Increases the likelihood of dangerous binge drinking, compared to alcohol use among adults; and
• Affects developing brains and general health, including possibly harming liver function and ability to fight infections
“The younger people are when they start drinking, the more likely they are to have significant alcohol problems in their lifetime, including abuse and addiction,” says pediatrician Janet Williams, a professor of pediatrics at the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio, and chairwoman of the Academy's committee on substance abuse.
The new policy statement from the AAP, describes risk factors that contribute to youth alcohol use, including having friends who use alcohol, tobacco, or other substances, patterns of use in communities in which alcohol and other drugs are less expensive and easily attainable and exposure to alcohol advertising.
The authors recommend additional research into the prevention, screening and identification, brief intervention and management, and treatment of alcohol and other substance use by adolescents, as it continues to be needed to improve evidence-based practices. April 1, 2010:
The ASAP Coalition, N.E. Ohio Law Enforcement Task Force (T.A.G.) the Area Agency on Aging 11, and the Geauga Trumbull Solid Waste District are sponsoring a FREE prescription drug disposal event on May 12 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Unused medications in original containers can be dropped off to law enforcement personnel who will count and destroy the medications. More information is available in the brochure. Click here - Prescription Drug Disposal Project.
March 31, 2010:
Mahoning County recently held a Town Hall Meeting to discuss proposed changes to Ohio's Social Host Law, Canfield's New Ordinance and What Parents Need to know about Underage Drinking. The meeting was very well attended and informative. State Representative Linda Bolan is the sponsor of House Bill 351. She explained the process that the bill needs to go through in order to become law.
The new social host ordinance in Canfield is an exciting step in helping to eliminate underage drinking. Parents who allow underage drinking parties to occur in their homes will be prosecuted by Canfield Township. The leaders in the community said their mission is not to prosecute parents, but to deter these underage drinking parties in Canfield.
March 18, 2010:
Thank you to Kathie Marando, Margie Alexander, Lana Ilain, Terri Grimmett, Tim Schaffner, April Caraway, Ilona Roth-Cohn, Cathy Loomis and Lauren Thorp for their assistance in writing the ASAP grant for the Drug Free Communities Support Project. ASAP is currently in it's 5th year of a 5 year grant cycle. The group recently reapplied for an additional 5 years of funding. The grant application was submitted last week. SAMHSA is reviewing and processing the applications. ASAP will be notified of additional funding at the end of August 2010. Keep your fingers crossed!
Congratulations to Lt. Jeff Orr and the Trumbull Ashtabula Group Law Enforcement Task Force. Law enforcement officers recently conducted a raid in Warren. The officers confiscated cash, heroin, marijuana and drug abuse instruments.
Lt. Orr serves on the ASAP coalition and is involved in coordinating a Prescription Drug Disposal Program with the coalition. The event is being held on Wednesday, May 12 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at Trumbull County Waste Management, 5138 Enterprise Drive in Warren. The group is holding the event to help eliminate the abuse of prescription drugs by teenagers.
*One in five teenagers has abused prescription medicine.
*Every day, 2,500 teenagers use a prescription drug to get high for the first time.
*60% of teens who have abused prescription painkillers did so before the age of 15.
The event on May 12 provides a safe, easy and anonymous way to drop off unused medications. Please keep medications in original containers.
Why not just flush the old meds?
Many pharmaceuticals are getting past waste water treatment plants and getting into drinking water. An Associated Press investigation last year found that trace amounts of many prescription drugs - including antibiotics, tranquilizers, mood stabilizers and hormones - are in the drinking water of 41 million Americans. For more information on the Prescription Drug Disposal event, call 330-770-3818.
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