Sea Grant and AVMA join forces to raise awareness on medicine disposal

Posted November 29th, 2011 in Healthy Waters, News

The most common poisons that threaten our beloved pets are our own medicines—ibuprofen, acetaminophen, antidepressants, and ADHD medications. Any medication, even those prescribed for a pet, can pose a risk to dogs or cats who decide to eat what they find.

For this reason and more, the National Sea Grant College Program and the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) have forged a formal partnership to raise awareness about the need for proper storage and disposal of unused medicines.

Pets, of course, are not the only victims of accidental poisonings. The Journal of Pediatrics recently reported that between the years 2001-2008, more than 430,000 children five years or younger were brought to emergency rooms due to self-ingested medicines. And, in the larger picture, drug-related deaths now outnumber motor vehicle fatalities, according to the Centers for Disease Control.

What’s more, pharmaceuticals are turning up in the environment. “Medicine disposal has become an emerging issue as numerous studies have found pharmaceuticals in drinking water and in lakes and rivers,” said Laura Kammin, IISG pollution prevention specialist. “The long term impacts are not known, but it’s clear that flushing medicines or throwing them in the trash contributes to the problem.”

“We are excited about this collaborative effort involving the AVMA and NOAA‘s National Sea Grant College Program,” said Mike Liffmann, Extension leader for the National Sea Grant Office. “Our Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant colleagues will, on behalf of the National Sea Grant College Program, lead this joint outreach and education effort aimed at ensuring that leftover or unused medications for animals are disposed of properly so they cannot harm people, the animals or the environment.”

For the past six years, IISG has worked with communities to develop local medicine collection programs. Through workshops and the IISG toolkit, the program provides information and support so that these efforts are safe and successful.

Now, alongside the AVMA, the information campaign can grow to encompass new audiences, including animal owners who, along with many in the general public, may need to dispose of unused and expired medicine.

“By increasing the general public’s awareness of options available to them for the proper disposal of pharmaceuticals and the environmental consequences of improper disposal, it is hoped and anticipated that fewer and fewer medications will flushed or poured into our waters,” said Kristi Henderson, AVMA assistant director of scientific activities.

For more information about medicine collection programs, visit unwantedmeds.org. There, you can download the toolkit Disposal of Unwanted Medicines: A Resource for Action in Your Community.

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Coastal protection is not limited to concrete, rocks, and steel. Coastal protection solutions exist on a spectrum, ranging from softer “green” solutions to harder “gray” structures.

Nature-based coastal solutions fall between green and gray techniques, providing multiple benefits to people and habitats.

Our three-part video series, Nature-Based Coastal Solutions in the Great Lakes, is now available to watch. Learn how nature-based coastal solutions, including nature-driven and hybrid approaches, can protect shorelines while supporting ecosystems and communities.

Watch the 3-part video series at the link in bio.

(Photo credit: Liz Spitzer, Illinois State Geological Survey, Coastal Research Group)

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Open post by ilinseagrant with ID 17873389053437520
Coastal protection is not limited to concrete, rocks, and steel. Coastal protection solutions exist on a spectrum, ranging from softer “green” solutions to harder “gray” structures.Nature-based coastal solutions fall between green and gray techniques, providing multiple benefits to people and habitats.Our three-part video series, Nature-Based Coastal Solutions in the Great Lakes, is now available to watch. Learn how nature-based coastal solutions, including nature-driven and hybrid approaches, can protect shorelines while supporting ecosystems and communities.Watch the 3-part video series at the link in bio.(Photo credit: Liz Spitzer, Illinois State Geological Survey, Coastal Research Group)

Managers and researchers can be faced with a need to classify the risk of new crayfish invaders. Rapid assessment tools, such as the Science-based Tools for Assessing Invasion Risk (STAIR), can assist in this process by providing a streamlined framework for analysis and decision-making.

Join us for an ICC webinar with John Bieber from Loyola University Chicago to learn how rapid assessment tools are used to classify invasive species risk and how STAIR can support invasive crayfish management.

Learn more at the link in bio.

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Open post by ilinseagrant with ID 17849711064650127
Managers and researchers can be faced with a need to classify the risk of new crayfish invaders. Rapid assessment tools, such as the Science-based Tools for Assessing Invasion Risk (STAIR), can assist in this process by providing a streamlined framework for analysis and decision-making.Join us for an ICC webinar with John Bieber from Loyola University Chicago to learn how rapid assessment tools are used to classify invasive species risk and how STAIR can support invasive crayfish management.Learn more at the link in bio.