Newsroom
A prescription drug drop-off event is scheduled from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday, September 26 at The Nest parking lot at Sycamore Mall (1500 Sycamore Street, Iowa City). The event is open to all residents of Johnson County.
Expired or unused prescription and over-the-counter drugs will be collected at the event for safe disposal away from landfills and domestic sewers to better prevent contamination of natural waters.
“It’s important to keep pharmaceuticals out of our water supply,” said Jennifer Jordan, Iowa City’s Recycling Coordinator. “A collection and educational campaign about not flushing them down the toilet is a great start. ECO Iowa City is excited to partner with all these groups to meet this proper disposal need in the community.”
Recent United States Geological Survey studies have found traces of painkillers, estrogen, antidepressants, blood-pressure medicines, etc. in water samples from 30 states (http://toxics.usgs.gov/pubs/OFR-02-94/index.html). Studies have linked hormone exposure to reproductive defects in fish, and environmental exposure to antibiotics to the development of drug-resistant germs.
An additional goal of the event is to reduce the occurrences of prescription drug abuse and accidental ingestions many times associated with insecure in-home storage of prescription medications.
Items that will NOT be accepted at the event include: needles/sharps, IV bags, oxygen tanks, nebulizer machines and thermometers.
This event is sponsored by ECO Iowa City, Iowa City Landfill & Recycling Center, Iowa City Public Library, American Pharmacists Association – Academy of Student Pharmacists, University of Iowa Engineers for a Sustainable World, The Nest of Johnson County, Iowa State Patrol, and the Iowa City Police Department.
For a full list of ECO Iowa City’s fall 2009 programs, visit the Newsroom post here.
Contact:
Maeve Clark
Information Services Coordinator
Iowa City Public Library
319-887-6004
maeve-clark@icpl.org
For more information on ECO Iowa City, please visit http://www.icpl.org/eco-iowa-city/ or call the Iowa City Public Library at 356-5200, option 5.
Get all the latest ICPL news in the Newsroom at http://newsroom.icpl.org/.
