The Joy of Living

DRUGS - In Our Water Supply - Yuck!

I couldn’t believe my eyes yesterday when I read that trace pharmaceuticals such as antibiotics, anti-convulsives, anti-cholesterol, asthma, birth control, heart meds, sex hormones, and mood stabilizers as well as 56 other Rx byproducts were found in the drinking supply of 24 major metropolitan areas across the US (including my own town of NJ). I don’t know about anyone else, but this is alarming and it’s time to take it to the feds in a major way to call for mandatory testing of our water and eradication of these drugs from the water we drink, cook and make our children drink (all in the name of 8 glasses a day!) Every major city from Southern California to Detroit to Louisville, KY was found to have a considerable amount of trace drugs in their water supply and bottled water drinkers weren’t protected from this either. I’ve never been one for the conspiracy theory, but it’s looking more and more like something fishy is up with our nation, gov’t and it’s ties to the pharmaceutical machine - all at the expense of sleeping Americans who are on more drugs than ever before and now will be moreso when you take a swig of your favorite tap water (whether you are already taking drugs for this or that - or not.)
According to the Associated Press, who investigated and issued the story on 03/09/08, it was learned that the “federal gov’t doesn’t require testing of America’s water and hasn’t set safety limits for drugs in the water.” An utter atrocity considering there is a federal mandate to (loosely?) test for microbial wastes, pesticides, PCBs and lead which still mysterioiusly turns up in our drinking supply from time to time. According to the story scientists have voiced concerns over the long-term exposure and effects to humans but stated they are limited to testing for a solution to due lack of federal funds, but recognize there has been negative effects on wildlife. How is it that longterm testing of our water supply has gone to the low end of the todem pole of importance in this highly volatile area but pharmaceutical companies have gotten fast track approval from the FDA on these same drugs that have now made their way into the drinking supply. How was it conveniently overlooked and not a part of the human trial portion of drug testing from the FDA to test the environment and test the long-term effects of the byproducts of some of the most powerful drugs on the market right now [who also just so happen to be at the top of the list amongst the nations top-selling Rx drugs also]. Not to mention how a vast majority of these same meds that were fast track drugs have been either pulled from shelves or locked in multiple law suits for ineffectiveness, damage and loss to human life(?) This is unbelievable and I will be sadly disappointed if Americans all over our vast country don’t rally together and demand a “fast track” solution from the federal government and pharmaceutical companies who are to blame for this atrocity.
I believe a federal mandate should be attached to the fast-track agreement and the entire drug approval process for pharmaceutical companies to put money aside to pay for continuous long-term testing of America’s drinking water and for testing of the environment since they are well aware that only small amounts of these drugs will actually be metabolized into the human body and the other components will be excreted out of the body and naturally be re-introduced back into the environment via reservoirs, rivers and lakes, and watersheds! It’s only comon sense that although these drugs are showing up in trace amounts now in the water supply, that there is certainly going to be a negative combined effect when all of them merge together over time in our water supply. Even now we shouldn’t be surprised that it’s packed a whallop of a punch to humanity and wildlife -as statistics are proving right now. I’ve only been in the medical field for X-number of [many] years working at 5 of the top research hospitals from NY to Seattle with the best researchers in the world to know how this process works and to be this outraged b/c the pharmaceutical companies know exactly what they’re doing and have enough money strategically placed in the places they want and where it’s going to net the highest return for them in their bottom line - PROFITS! It’s also not a big secret how pharmaceutical companies do everything they can to protect their own interest and leave the consumer out to dry in order to satify their shareholders, stock value and profitmargins. So, I guess I should believe the statement provided by microbiologist and pharmaceutical consultant for the Pharmceutical Resesearch and Manufacturers of America, Mr. Thomas White, when he told the AP that there was little to no risk from pharmaceuticals in the environment to human health. Or, maybe I should believe Mary Buzby - director of environmental technology for drug maker Merck & Co., Inc. who said, ”There’s no doubt about it, pharmaceuticals are being detected in the environment and there is genuine concern that these compounds, in the small concentrations that they’re at, could be causing impacts to human health or the aquatic organisms.” I mean who is more to blame here - the consultant who protects the pharmaceutical company because he’s on their payroll and worried about his retirement profile - or the Merck environmentalist who also works for the pharmaceutical company who agrees that there’s a problem, but doesn’t do use her power with Merck to do anything effective about it.
You didn’t hear it from me, but is anyone paying attention to any of the major signs of the decline of human health and the decline of the environment and species within it (within the last 20-30 years) despite the introduction of all these so-called miracle drugs and treatments by the pharmaceutical companies that line the shelves of our major drug stores before we finally accept that we are really facing a considerable crisis to human existence. I know no one listened to Al Gore back in 2000 when he first pointed this out and the forces that be (Bush) thought it best to steal the Presidency from him in order to shush him. Thank God he decided to release his award winning video independently on the subject anyway to get people’s attention - and finally did (however late.) But, this is an outrage to me and I think it’s time for a major change in Washington by someone who is not tied to the environmentalist and pharmaceutical lobbyists money on Capital Hill (Hillary - McCain) so that the pharmaceutical companies can truly be held accountable for once! This is not okay for my family and it shouldn’t be okay for anyone else’s family regardless of race, ethnicity, party preference, nationality, job status, economic status, religion, etc… With things like this going under the rug - nothing will be done and our children’s children will inherit this problem and God only knows what it will be like then. What is it that people are waiting for before they really take a stand - another thalidimide situation where more of our children are born in the millions with more unimaginable and untreatable birth defects, more mental handicaps, reproductive malfunctions that aren’t detected until their adults, or until people are born green with 8 heads? Not that that’s what’s happening now - and you didn’t hear it from me. But, when are we finally going to make the gov’t and the pharmaceutical companies accountable for what they’re doing to the environment and humanity all for the sake of the almighty dollar? I don’t know what you are going to do but I’m going to make my voice heard loud and clear with my vote in November and push for legislation on the grassroots level until something is done!