what’s the problem?

Unwanted and expired medicine may be a risk to human health and the environment if disposed of improperly. Traditionally, expired or unwanted prescriptions or over-the-counter medicine from households were disposed of by flushing them down the toilet or pouring them down the drain.

DO NOT FLUSH!  This method of disposal is now discouraged.

 Keeping prescription and over-the-counter medicines out of the environment is an important way to prevent pollution. After being flushed or poured down a drain, many medicines pass through sewer and septic systems. Because these systems cannot always treat or remove the medicines, they may end up in streams, lakes and groundwater. This can cause adverse effects in fish and other aquatic wildlife as well as unintentional human exposure to chemicals in the medications.

To learn more, go to:

http://www.epa.gov/ppcp/

or

http://lakesideviews.blogspot.com/2012/01/do-not-flush-medicine-message-goes-big.html

and to:

http://www.iiseagrant.org/gros/meddisposal.html

http://www.sheboyganpress.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2011110190351

That said, American drinking water is quite safe. The EPA sets drinking-water standards for public water supplies and the 1996 Safe Drinking Water Act Amendments require that all community water systems distribute to their customers an annual water-quality report listing contaminant levels detected in the water. If you are one of the 15 percent of Americans with a private well, the EPA has information on how to ensure your water is safe (epa.gov/safewater/privatewells). As for bottled water, the FDA requires that it meet the same standards as tap water.

http://www.nsf.org/business/newsroom/press_releases/press_release.asp?p_id=22869

Today, thousands of citizens from across the United States and Canada celebrate National Drinking Water Week. Public and private water utilities sponsor many fun activities and provide a wide array of educational services to their customers. Check out the two links below for more information on this topic. This week is also a good time to have your well water tested to see if is safe for drinking.

Check out the links for more information:
http://www.awwa.org/government/content.cfm?itemnumber=44766&navitemnumber=3863

http://www.nsf.org/consumer/drinking_water/dw_water_week.asp?program=WaterTre

http://earthday.net/footprint2/index.html

Corp Report Profile article

Since 1996 more than 44,000 children in Wisconsin have been identified with lead poisoning. In 2008, the number was more than 1,600 children–an average of 4 children identified with lead poisoning per day.

Lead from old paint poisons children and reduces their future potential. The harm is devastating to our communities and society as a whole; it is entirely preventable.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has published a new Renovation, Repair and Painting (RR&P) Rule that affects child care centers, schools and homes built before 1978. The rule requires that a certified renovator conduct the renovation and that the occupants of the dwelling being renovated receive the EPA Renovate Right pamphlet from the contractor. The rule also requires that parents of children under age 6 who attend a child care center or school must be notified of any renovation activity and that the contractor is properly certified.

Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Week is October 25 – 31, 2009. This year’s theme for Wisconsin is “Be Proactive, not Reactive–Renovate Right!” We want to focus on reaching out to targeted audiences in our communities, such as parents, child care providers, and school personnel to engage them in following this new RR&P Rule to protect children while renovating old housing.

Lead hurts kids and we want to prevent exposure before it happens. That is unacceptable!   On-Line Resources for Information on the Treatment and Prevention of Lead Poisoning  dhs.wisconsin.gov/lead

The DHS Lead-Safe Wisconsin website has information on the status of lead poisoning in Wisconsin, ways to treat and ways to prevent the disease. Data, maps, facts, information pamphlets, and much more can be found at dhs.wisconsin.gov/lead

Information that can be provided to families include the following: 

ü The brochure titled, “Look Out for Lead.”  

dhs.wisconsin.gov/lead/doc/ParentsLeadEng.pdf

• The U. S. Environmental Protection Agency, of particular interest they provide information in Spanish.

TOP TEN FACTS ABOUT CHILDHOOD LEAD POISONING

IN WISCONSIN

1. Lead interferes with the normal development of a young child’s brain resulting in lowered IQ, attention disorders, developmental delays and learning disabilities.
2. Wisconsin consistently ranks in the top ten for the number of children identified with lead poisoning. Since 1996 more than 44,000 Wisconsin children younger than 6 years of age were identified with lead poisoning.
3. Nearly 1 in 20 Wisconsin third graders were known to have been lead poisoned.
4. Children who are lead poisoned show a 15% decrease in reading scores and 14% decrease in mathematical scores on performance tests.
5. Children who are lead poisoned have higher rates of high school dropout, teen pregnancy, juvenile delinquency and violent crime as adults.
6. Children who are lead poisoned are more likely to suffer as adults from kidney disease, diabetes, cognitive deficits such as memory loss and Alzheimer’s and early death from high blood pressure, stroke and heart attack.
7. Children and families have been lead poisoned by unsafe work practices during home renovation. Therefore, in 2009 Wisconsin enacted rules (DHS Chapter 163) in compliance with the Environmental Protection Agency to assure all renovation conducted in homes, child care facilities and schools built before 1978 will be done in a lead-safe manner to protect children from lead poisoning.
8. A child with lead poisoning most often does not look or act sick; the only way to know if a child is lead poisoned is by getting a blood lead test.
9. Lead poisoning is an entirely preventable disease through the removal or control of lead paint dust hazards in a child’s environment.
10. A new study just released estimates that by eliminating lead exposure to young children we could save between $17 to $221 for every dollar spent on lead hazard control. The benefits accrue from reduced health care costs, reduced criminal activity, increased IQ, higher lifetime earnings, increased tax revenue and less spending on special education.