Written by Kristin Larmore, Web Editor
What does this look like to you?
Yep. It’s just what it looks like- a bag of trash…but not just any trash. It’s prescription drugs.
Believe it or not, the disposal of old or expired medications in households affects our environment drastically, harming wildlife and dirtying drinking water. Can you imagine ingesting a drug for your grandfather’s arthritis through a glass of seemingly refreshing ice water? The hormones and chemicals show up not only in groundwater, but in lakes, rivers and ponds as well.
You can’t just flush them down the toilet or put them in the trashcan…and you can’t leave them in your cabinet, either.
And non disposal? Well, that’s just as much of a problem, as they are accessible to young teens and kids who actually have what they call pharm parties. They’ll mix different medications together for some serious dangerous results.
Sound crazy? It is. But it’s true. A passionate teen has done the research- it was reported more than 2.1 million teens between the ages of 12 and 17 abused prescription drugs in 2006 alone. And over-the-counter (OTC) cough and cold medication is a very common way for teens to get high.
Teen and Reedsburg, Wisconsin native Jordyn Schara created “the first teen-driven, self-sustainable, drug collection program in the world” in her own town. The program, called Prescription Pill and Drug Disposal (P2D2), seeks to create a permanent drop-off location year-round for the proper disposal of these medications and drugs, covering all costs for the incinerators to destroy them.
Through her efforts and the help of the community, Jordyn has raised over $7,000 in her community to cover the costs of hazerdous waste disposal at $3 per pound. She received a local grant to gather funds for future events, and P2D2 is now in six states and responsible for the collection of about 100,000 pounds worth of drugs!
HELP JORDYN SPREAD THE WORD ABOUT PRESCRIPTION DRUG ABUSE AND PROPER MEDICATION DISPOSAL!
Write to your state lawmakers and appeal to them about this serious problem. “Educating the public is the only way to stop the environmental damage we are doing to our world and the only way to save our teens from prescription drug abuse, which is also why I am sending packets of information to other municipalities,” Jordyn said.
How old is this talented, driven girl, you might ask? She’s 15. But she began this project at 14. The Environmental Protection Agency, the WI Department of Natural Resources and the Drug Enforcement Agency turned her away and told her she couldn’t do anything. But once her local police department realized how determined she would remain, they purchased an incinerator and enthusiastically chipped in.
So if you’re thinking you’re too young, think again.
Be on the lookout for Relate’s interview with Jordyn. She has some really interesting things to say!
Tags: drug abuse, environment, medications, pharm parties, prescription drugs, teenage drug abuse, wildlife
