Prescription drugs flushed may harm fish

"Prescription drugs flushed down the toilet may harm fish, experts say"

Despite what people have been told for years, unused and expired prescription drugs should not be disposed of in the toilet, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

"Medications that are flushed down the toilet or thrown straight into the garbage can and do find their way into our nation’s waterways every day,” Sam D. Hamilton, Southeastern Regional Director, said in a statement released today.

“Those drugs are present in water that supports many species of fish and other wildlife.

"We are concerned about reports of fish abnormalities possibly caused by improperly disposed prescription medications.”

The service has joined with the American Pharmacists Association in a partnership to educate the public about what they can do “to clean up our waters and help prevent fish, and people, from inadvertent exposure to prescription medication," he said.



Comment:

Although you should NEVER flush any medications or chemicals down the toilet, this article is somewhat alarmist. First of all most antibiotics break down rapidly and will not last long water (most not longer than 48 hours). Second, ALL sewage must be treated before being dumped into our water ways, so this should never make it into aquatic habitats if someone is doing their job. This said, dumping any waste into the gutter or storm drains should never be practiced.

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