freaking out about news of drugs in water.

Has anyone else seen this today?  CNN is talking about metropolitan cities having drugs in the tap water.  Ppl who take prescription drugs, they all don't dissolve in body and get flushed.  Sex hormones, and other pharmacutical drugs.

The flushed water is filtered and put in drinking water resevours.  Cities say it won't hurt you as it's such a small, diluted amount,  BUT scientist say they don't know the long term effects.  Even bottled water can have this.  And home filters don't have any benefit.

what do the rest of you think?  I love water and drink nothing else, but now, I don't know.

It is pretty freaking scary and unfortunately I have no idea what the solution might be.  I am trying to keep my freak out in check until we know a little more about what the potential effects are.

also:  small 'burgs' (like where I live)  supposedly don't even test.

Aso:  when sick patients die, some ppl ( read that Hospic) are made to flush leftover drugs.

Now, even if I could afford imported water, I wouldn't trust foreign countries to monitor better than the U.S.

In the article I referenced (http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2008-03-0 9-water_N.htm ) there are a few experts cited as having a "great concern", but were also careful to state that the effects longterm are "unknown" and more research is needed.  They also rightfully point out that what we do know about chemical effects of various substances on living organisms are based on studies involving exposing laboratory animals to higher than normal doses in short periods of time, not trace amounts over a lifetime. 

I too am trying to keep my reaction cautious, but limited, simply because there's no evidence that it really has an adverse effect.  Additionally, I have no idea what would be done about it - it's not like we can expect people to stop taking drugs.  Perhaps how water is reclaimed needs to be researched, along with advances in water reclamation technology, but with the economy the way it is, and how water tables across the globe are being depleted, counting on that is a long term thing, not immediate.

Hi Ohio - Read the main report and Reverse Osmosis will remove the drugs - I happen to have that with all the water I drink so not concerned.  However, it is an expensive system so I would highly recommend drinking distilled water if you really are nervous about it - distilled water is even better than the RO.  

hi Tando :)

to curb my appetite I've always guzzled water, now I am rushing out and had planned to get the distilled as I like the 'pure' taste of it.

Bet this increases sales of R.O. equipment!

Three words - Brita Water Filter

sorry, they said filtering your water and the guy held up a Brita water pitcher, doesn't remove these drugs.

but it might make ppl feel better at least. :)

My father is the general manager of a large water supplier out here in California.  He told me about this years ago.  He said the vast majority of the drugs that end up in the water supply are from people flushing their unused drugs as ohio45 said.  Their water treatment facilities are not able to filter out the meds.  This has been an issue for years but with the over medicating of America it's only becoming a bigger problem.  There are safe ways to dispose of your medications, just ask your local pharmacist about the program in your area.  I'm personally more worried about other sources such as the chewable air pollution out here in CA and the crap they put in my food that I'm now being better at avoiding.  Kinda scary though.

Yeah, it is kind of freaky, but I figure that we've all been drinking such water forever, since we were born. The generation before us has been drinking it too. And people are living longer than ever these days.

I think it's more harmful for the fishes and other critters that live in the water, frankly. Stories of frogs with multiple eyes and no sex organs and stuff like that....

Ohio - you're not supposed to drink distilled water. I can't remember why, I just know it's dangerous to drink for some reason.

jen:  let me know if you remember why.  Meanwhile I'll google distilled water.  also, in the warning this morning for ppl, it also mentioned wildlife.

srosco:  I always thought of Calif as a more progressive state and 10 yrs ago, knew that only 3 states required food to be labeled what country it was from, Calif, NY and Fla.

last week bought an extension cord, that had a label:  ""warning, the material in this product is found, by the state of California, to  contribute to cause cancer.  Please wash hands after touching"

I returned it only to get another and read when I got home : warning, this product contains chemicals, including lead that known to the state of California to cause birth and reproductive defects.  wash hands"

of course I'm wondering why only 'Calif' was listed on these warning and yes, it scared me. 

Its pretty scary stuff.  I'm glad I have a private well that is replenished through rain water. 

It bothers me. It's the kind of thing you only have nightmares about -- the government putting something in the water to placate people. Instead, we are doing it willingly... which scares me more. They said antidepressents and sex hormone therapies were two big ones (no big surprise...antidepressents are the top prescription in the US -- we are incredibly overmedicated). No wonder I feel better when I drink water -- I'm getting liquid happy pills!

I'd love to get Reverse Osmossis in my home or office, but that's not happening until I own. Blast. And I am a hardcore water drinker. And I don't do bottled water -- I have my big blue water bottle here which I fill from the tap or water fountains.

Now which is worse: ingesting these drug chemicals or producing more pollution through plastic bottles?

 

My dad actually runs a water department for the capital city of our state!! And trust me... the water is SAFE!! The local news station actually called him today so they could interview him. They test the water numerous times EVERY HOUR!

*finishes glass of water, burps*

Hmm. I think the media tends to freak out about everything, and it doesn't really scare me at all, lol. Remember when the bird flu was supposed to hit us? Oh, right. Remember Y2K? Oh, right.

Media HYPE.

digdig; 

~~reaching for a bottle of WINE, hiccups~~

 yes, you're right about that.  I can't do anything about it, so will try to put it out of my mind..........but it's going to take a while.

"Something in the water YOU are drinking RIGHT NOW can KILL YOU!!!   Tune in at 11pm to learn more."

You gotta love sensationalistic news broadcasts!  ;-)

Original Post by ohio45:

srosco: I always thought of Calif as a more progressive state and 10 yrs ago, knew that only 3 states required food to be labeled what country it was from, Calif, NY and Fla.

We are fairly progressive out here.  When I mentioned the 'crap they put in my food' I was mostly referring to junk food that is so processed that no longer resembles food which I am now trying to avoid as a part of my new healthier living.

sunshine_rjs is totally right.  Your tap water is FINE!  This is just media sensationalism.   

This has been know for years, must be a slow news week to revive it.

Our local drug stores have a recycle drug program.  Any drugs that you no longer use or are outdated you just bring in and they dispose of them.  Our city has asked the community not to flush their drugs for as long as I can remember.

You're always going to find scientists that will testify that bad things could occur...because it is always possible.  Realistically though, we get trace amounts of all sorts of toxins and pollutants through various means, and typically our bodies can handle them.  Over a lifetime, the sum of everything we come into contact with probably does affect us, but I'd say this is probably pretty insignificant compared to all the other things we're exposed to. 

 Also, when talking about drugs getting "flushed", I don't think they're talking about improper disposal of unused pills.  They probably mean that people take drugs and their body doesn't process/break down all of it so a small amount goes back into the system when the person goes to the bathroom.