Two new IL laws support medicine collection programs

Posted August 25th, 2011 in Education, Healthy Waters, News

Two bills signed by Governor Pat Quinn are going to make it much easier for people to properly dispose of their unused medicines. Improper storage and disposal of medicines can lead to unintentional poisonings, medicine diversion and misuse, and can negatively impact aquatic wildlife.

“One of the main road blocks to medicine collection programs is the cost of properly disposing of the materials once they are collected”, says Laura Kammin, IISG pollution prevention program specialist. “This legislation will help communities that could not previously afford to have a program to start new collection programs, and it will provide financial support for police departments that already have medicine collection programs in place. HB2056 will provide critical funding to keep medicines out of the water until a national funding program is put into place.”

On August 24, 2011, Governor Quinn signed two bills that will provide a major boost to unused medicine collection programs in Illinois. House Bill 2056, sponsored by Rep. JoAnn Osmond (R-Antioch) and Sen. Suzi Schmidt (R-Villa Park) will make it easier for police departments in Illinois to pay for medicine collection programs. The new law authorizes law enforcement agencies to collect pharmaceuticals from residents and provides the funding to support collection and proper incineration of the medicines. Costs associated with medicine collection can be recovered through a $20 court fee levied against people who commit specified drug offenses.

House Bill 3090, sponsored by Rep. Luis Arroyo (D-Chicago) and Sen. William Delgado (D-Chicago), authorizes the use of city halls or police departments to house medicine collection containers. Both laws go into effect on January 1, 2012.

“We don’t want these pharmaceuticals disposed of in an improper way. If they are just thrown down the toilet or thrown in the garbage they can end up in our water supply,” Governor Quinn said. “These bills will help Illinois conserve water, protect the safety of our drinking water supplies and ensure that unused medications are disposed of properly.”

Yesterday’s signing was actually the result of the hard work and enthusiasm of high school students. The Prescription Pill and Drug Disposal Program (P2D2), was launched by students at Pontiac Township High School and their ecology teacher, Paul Ritter. High school students from Antioch joined the program and brought the idea of a bill to fund household medicine disposal to Rep. Osmond.

“Through the hard work and dedication of students from Pontiac, Antioch, and other schools in the state of Illinois, and with the guidance of Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant, the P2D2 Bill [HB2056], which pays for the disposal of pharmaceuticals in Illinois, was signed by Governor Pat Quinn and become law,” said Ritter.

IISG and the P2D2 Program developed The Medicine Chest curriculum to educate other students around the country about proper disposal of medicines. And both organizations work together help communities start new medicine collection programs. For more information about how you can start a program in your community, contact Laura Kammin.

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This Halloween, we’re diving into the eerie depths of the Great Lakes.

Each lake has its own spooky story:

🕯️ Lake Superior hides ghost ships beneath its icy waves...
🦴 Lake Michigan whispers tales of vanishing beaches…
🌉Lake Huron hides prehistoric hunting camps on a lake bottom ridge...
🧪 Lake Erie bubbles with algal blooms that glow like potions...
🦠 Lake Ontario was first to host strange creatures like the blood sucking sea lamprey.

Never fear, we have resources to help you make these fascinating topics less frightening at iiseagrant.org/education.

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Open post by ilinseagrant with ID 18068749643060732
This Halloween, we’re diving into the eerie depths of the Great Lakes.Each lake has its own spooky story:🕯️ Lake Superior hides ghost ships beneath its icy waves...🦴 Lake Michigan whispers tales of vanishing beaches…🌉Lake Huron hides prehistoric hunting camps on a lake bottom ridge...🧪 Lake Erie bubbles with algal blooms that glow like potions...🦠 Lake Ontario was first to host strange creatures like the blood sucking sea lamprey. Never fear, we have resources to help you make these fascinating topics less frightening at iiseagrant.org/education.

IISG is seeking a talented and passionate person to join our team as a research & reporting administrator. This is an exciting leadership opportunity for someone interested in managing a competitive research portfolio and leading our annual reporting process to make a real impact on the health and vitality of our Great Lakes ecosystems and communities.

The successful candidate will be responsible for overseeing our research competitions, spearheading data collection and reporting for our ~$5 million program, and supervising a small team of dedicated staff.

Interested? Learn more at the link in bio.

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Open post by ilinseagrant with ID 17881001997406832
IISG is seeking a talented and passionate person to join our team as a research & reporting administrator. This is an exciting leadership opportunity for someone interested in managing a competitive research portfolio and leading our annual reporting process to make a real impact on the health and vitality of our Great Lakes ecosystems and communities. The successful candidate will be responsible for overseeing our research competitions, spearheading data collection and reporting for our ~$5 million program, and supervising a small team of dedicated staff.Interested? Learn more at the link in bio.

Just in time for DEA National Takeback Day on October 25, Unwanted Meds now has an interactive step-by-step guide that walks users through how to properly dispose of different types of medicine. Users can also find two new educational brochures designed to help veterinarians, pet owners, and livestock farmers prevent accidental poisonings and pollution.

Learn more at the link in bio.

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Open post by ilinseagrant with ID 18057445667549008
Just in time for DEA National Takeback Day on October 25, Unwanted Meds now has an interactive step-by-step guide that walks users through how to properly dispose of different types of medicine. Users can also find two new educational brochures designed to help veterinarians, pet owners, and livestock farmers prevent accidental poisonings and pollution.Learn more at the link in bio.

Join us November 5th and November 12th seminars on the latest fish biology, ecology, and fisheries science happening in Lake Michigan.

Topics will include:
• PFAS contamination in coastal tributaries
• Great Lakes Spawning Whitefish and Invasive Mussels (SWIM) project
• Hatchery update from the Indiana Department of Natural Resources

Learn more and register at the link in bio.

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Open post by ilinseagrant with ID 17850060816578617
Join us November 5th and November 12th seminars on the latest fish biology, ecology, and fisheries science happening in Lake Michigan. Topics will include:• PFAS contamination in coastal tributaries• Great Lakes Spawning Whitefish and Invasive Mussels (SWIM) project• Hatchery update from the Indiana Department of Natural ResourcesLearn more and register at the link in bio.
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