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Robin Goettel, Terri Hallesy, and Laura Kammin, IL-IN Sea Grant Program Marti Martz and Anna McCartney, PA Sea Grant Program Helen Domske, NY Sea Grant Program IAGLR Conference Duluth, Minnesota June 3, 2011 Presentation Overview • Background on the issue: - Disposal of unwanted medicine - Medicines in the environment • Education programs and initiatives What do you do with your unwanted medicines? Informal Poll 1. Flush down the toilet. 2. Throw in the trash unaltered. 3. Throw in the trash after removing name from bottle or altering the leftover meds. 4. Save for a collection event. 5. Return to your pharmacist. Pharmaceuticals and Personal Care Products (PPCPs) • Includes prescription and over-the-counter medications, cleaning agents, cosmetics, nutritional supplements, & skin care products • Produced and used in larger volumes yearly • Biologically active Percent of persons reporting prescription drug use in the past month, by age Source: U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention. National Center for Health Statistics. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Percent of Students Reporting Annual Non-Medical Use of Prescriptions, 2008 Drug 8th Grade 10th Grade 12th Grade OxyContin 2.1% 3.9% 4.7% Vicodin 2.9 6.7 9.7 Amphetamines 4.5 6.4 6.8 Ritalin 1.6 2.9 3.4 Sedatives n/a n/a 5.8 Methaqualone n/a n/a 0.5 Tranquilizers 2.4 4.6 6.2 Source: “Monitoring the Future” Report, 2008, NIH and Nat’l Institute on Drug Abuse Disposal of Unwanted Medicines In some cases, medicines are not entirely consumed due to: Change in prescription Patient’s health improves before finishing medicine Patient death Patient non-compliance Bulk “economy size” containers of over-the-counter medicines contain more than is needed before expiration date What Can Be Done? • Extended producer responsibility • Pollution prevention • Legislation (state, regional, and national) • Local Collections • Education and awareness Many New Education Partnerships • • • • • • • • High School Teachers 4-H Youth Educators/State Curriculum Specialists University Faculty and Students DNR’s--Office of Education Hazardous/Solid Waste Districts Science Teacher Associations Environmental Action Org. (Earth Force) Community Libraries The Medicine Chest – A High School Curriculum • Informs youth and their families about the harmful effects of improper medicine disposal • Provides teachers with best practices for creating a community awareness campaign • Incorporates a variety of educational approaches for instructing youth Students in P2D2 Project paint rain barrel to inform public about medicine disposal. The Medicine Chest (cont’d) • Informs high school teachers about the Prescription Pill and Drug Disposal Program (P2D2) • Provides supplemental activities to encourage students to become actively engaged • Supports community stewardship by offering models, resources, and guidance Engage Youth in Community Stewardship Projects • Inform adults about critical action steps • Protect our waterways • Reduce medicine poisoning in children • Reduce identification theft • Reduce impacts on environment from medicines given to livestock Songs from Music Theory Class “Cleaner Water—For You for Me” Source: P2D2 Program, Mr. Schmink's A. P. Music Theory Class http://www.p2d2program.org/old/01-Track1_000.mp3 4-H Guide— Sensible Disposal of Unwanted Medicines Helps youth understand: • Why chemicals from medicines are found in the environment • The harm caused by these chemicals • What can be done about it So, What’s the Big Deal? What do you notice about these pictures? What do they show about how contaminants can enter water sources? Why should we care? How can we let other people know what to do? Youth work in teams to educate community members through: • Poster displays • Public Service Announcements • Demonstrations at community events and local venues Dose of Reality • Geared to public and middle/high schools students • Visit a wastewater treatment plant • Questions to ask- Yourself Doctor Pharmacist Insurance Company Elected officials Expected Long-term Impacts • • • Public takes positive steps to properly dispose of their unwanted medicines. Student citizenship is enhanced in the Great Lakes region. This becomes a sustainable program where new partnerships incorporate the latest science into drug disposal ed. programs. What is Still Needed? Curb medicine waste and over-prescribing through: Education Research Funding Acknowledgments We thank our sponsor, U.S. EPA Great Lakes National Program Office, Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI). GLRI Partner Programs: - Pennsylvania Sea Grant - Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant - New York Sea Grant - Ohio Sea Grant To Learn More about Sea Grant Education Activities Robin Goettel Associate Director for Education [email protected] www.iisgcp.org/education/gros_educ.html