Along Lakeshore Path

Chances are prescription and over-the-counter pharmaceuticals sitting in people's medicine cabinets right now will someday find their way into water supplies. Most will get there when we excrete them or unused pills are flushed down the toilet. Others will seep into groundwater from meds tossed in landfills. These chemicals have been found in hundreds of rivers and lakes across the country, including each of the Great Lakes, and in the drinking water of around 50 million Americans. Along the Chicago lakefront, scientists have found everything from antibiotics to pain relievers to caffeine. The levels detected aren't high enough to threaten human health, especially in the short term. But they have already had impacts on fish and other wildlife.

You can help by taking unwanted medicines to collection programs. Your pills will be incinerated, which poses less threat to the environment. Since 2003, Chicago and nearby suburbs have hosted one-day collection events. Permanent drop-off sites at police stations across the city also make it possible for residents to rid their medicine cabinets of unwanted pharmaceuticals anytime. The city's permanent program alone keeps thousands of pounds of medication out of Lake Michigan and area rivers each year.