Do NOT flush or toss out old medicine!

Chasidy Hobbs, Emerald COASTKEEPER  For years we were taught to dispose of unused medicines by flushing them. Little did we know, this practice would have a devastating impact on water quality nationwide, especially for those communities who get their drinking water from surface waters (thankfully not an issue for us here in NWFL!). However, our area has been impacted by this historical practice as wastewater treatment facilities are not set up to remove these chemicals during treatment and our surface waters still receive an unknown amount of them from treated wastewater. Also, those sent to the landfill ultimately end up in leachate water which is sent to the wastewater treatment facility; either way, ultimately these substances end up in our rivers, bays and other coastal waterways. Emerald Coastkeeper is teaming up with ECUA, Escambia County Sheriff’s Office and Walgreens to help educate folks about proper disposal of unused medicines and to significantly reduce those which enter our waterways. A kickoff event is scheduled for this Saturday, April 30th at several locations throughout Escambia County. We are also working on creating an ongoing program available year round; if you would like to help please contact us. The “Prescription Drug Round-Up” is a one-day effort to provide the public a site to voluntarily surrender expired, unwanted, unused pharmaceutically controlled substances, and other medications for proper destruction. The April 30 event will feature ten locations with deputies from the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office and officials from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection providing information on the environmental benefits and proper ways citizens should dispose of prescription drugs. Walgreens Locations:                                                      20 West Nine Mile Rd                              2237 West Nine Mile Rd 4497 Mobile Hwy 5995 Mobile Hwy 870 E Cervantes 6314 North 9th Ave Precinct 1, Pensacola Beach 43 Fort Pickens Road Pensacola Beach32561 Precinct 2, Big Lagoon 12950 Gulf Beach Highway Pensacola, Florida 32507 Precinct 5, Cantonment 5844 North Hwy 29 Molino, Florida 32577 Precinct 6, Century 7995 North Century Blvd. Century, Florida 32532 For more information concerning the event, contact us at (850) 429-822, or the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office (850) 436-9277 or ECUA (850) 476-0480.

Chasidy Fisher Hobbs
Emerald Coastkeeper