Just say yes to disposing of drugs properly

Imagine the reception you'd get if you walked into the Sheriff's Office carrying a bag of marijuana.

You may be surprised to learn that you might actually be greeted with a smile rather than a pair of handcuffs. You wouldn't even have to give your name and you could leave whenever you want.

Without the drugs, of course.

The intent is obvious " to get drugs off the streets, although so far there hasn't exactly been a line of people waiting to drop off their drugs.

Now there's a new wrinkle to this program after the city's supervisors passed a resolution encouraging the medical community and Carson City residents to participate in a drug destruction program through the Sheriff's Office.

Why?

Well, it began some time ago when a resident appeared before supervisors to alert them to something that had been in the news " the potential for drinking water to become contaminated by a myriad of prescription drugs.

The Associated Press recently did an investigation revealing how widespread the problem is, saying prescription drugs were found in the water supply of at least 41 million Americans. Everything from antibiotics to mood stabilizers to sex hormones.

Sounds scary, but remember that we're talking tiny proportions. How do those drugs get into the water? According to the AP, it happens because our bodies only absorb part of the medication, and the rest passes through and is flushed down the toilet.

Another way is disposing of unused prescriptions. City Supervisor Shelly Aldean witnessed firsthand how little thought is given to disposing of drugs that are no longer needed. She lost her mother in January, and the hospice workers then flushed her mother's remaining OxyContin (a painkiller) down the garbage disposal.

That water, of course, goes to the wastewater treatment plant (which isn't equipped to remove most drugs) before it is put back into the environment through irrigation or other means. Some of it inevitably ends up back in the drinking water supply.

As for the city's drinking water ... it's perfectly safe to drink, vows the city's public works department. I drink it every day and thus far I've not grown any extra appendages.

So why worry about people improperly disposing of prescription drugs? Maybe the answer is a question: "why take a chance?" No one disputes that the drugs are being found in drinking water, it's just a matter of if there will be impacts years down the line. Bottled water, by the way, is unlikely to be a solution if your are concerned, since bottlers don't check for or remove traces of the drugs.

The Sheriff's Office disposes of the drugs it seizes periodically anyhow in a safe and environmentally friendly manner (they'll never tell you when and where), so adding prescription drugs to the pile is no bother.

If you want to participate, just take your drugs to the sheriff's office weekdays during regular business hours. If you don't have transportation, they'll pick them up for you.

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Have you wondered what the hard " and getting harder " times we're in will cause people to do to make ends meet?

Teresa Talkington of Carson City found herself pondering that question on Thursday after visiting a gas station. Her credit card wouldn't work in the pump, so she went inside to the cashier to conduct the transaction there. Trouble is, she told the cashier she was on pump 3 when she was actually on pump 4. By the time she'd gone back out to her car and realized her mistake, another motorist had pulled up to pump 3 and filled her car with $20 worth of gas, courtesy of Teresa. The middle-aged woman in the gray car was driving off before Teresa could react.

That's enough to ruin your day.

So what would you do if you'd pulled up to a pump that beckoned you to "begin fueling" with free gas? Teresa knows she'd do the honest thing, and you'd like to think she'd be joined by the majority of other people. But the reality, she realizes, may not be that pleasant.

"I think in these hard times, a lot of people would take the money," she said.

- Barry Ginter is editor of the Appeal. You can reach him at 881-1221, or via e-mail at bginter@nevada

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