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Medicines Thrown in the Garbage are Still Available to Others

Throwing medicines in the garbage can lead to teen drug abuse and accidental poisonings of children and pets. Take unwanted medicines to a drug take-back site.

Medicines thrown in the garbage can still be found by children and pets and taken.

Human medicines are the leading cause of pet poisonings. Trash-related toxic exposures are called into the Pet Poison Helpline daily. In 2009, the ASPCA’s Animal Poison Control Center handled more than 46,000 cases in the U.S. of pets exposed to prescription and over-the-counter drugs.1

Medicines can also be taken from the garbage and taken by teens or accidentally ingested by younger children. Protect your family. Take your medicines to a medicine take-back program.


What You Can Do Now

 



1. American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, 2010, Top 10 Pet Poisons of 2009 Available at: http://www.aspca.org/pet-care/poison-control/top-10-pet-poisons-of-the-year.html Accessed 08/10/10.

Pharmaceuticals detected in the environment


"There's no doubt about it, pharmaceuticals are being detected in the environment and there is genuine concern that these compounds, in the small concentrations that they're at, could be causing impacts to human health or to aquatic organisms."

Mary Buzby, director of environmental technology for Merck & Co. Inc., in USA Today, March 10, 2008.  "AP: Drugs found in drinking water".    Read more

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