Learn about environmental issues, their effect on your community and actions for your involvement. Reconnect with your environment SP19371 Do ads influence your PPCP buying habits? While articles are intended to inform you using facts, advertisements are designed to influence you to buy something even if it means distorting the truth. Collect PPCP ads and list them according to their appeal. Do any of them imply: “Everybody else is doing it,” or “users of this product are just like you”? Do the ads distort or omit facts, or use testimonials or endorsements by famous people or a respected person like a doctor? Design an ad to inform and influence people to only buy and use PPCPs that don’t harm you or the environment. Use your ad in a campaign to educate others in your school or community. Send your ads for possible publication in “your space” to Anna McCartney, PA Sea Grant, 301 Peninsula Dr., Suite 3, Erie, PA 16505. What: Cascade Creek Restoration Walking Worksop Where: Property located immediately adjacent to the Bayfront Parkway at the entrance to the Niagara Pier condominiums and Sunrise Senior Living When: Wednesday at 6 p.m. Sponsored by: the Erie-Western Pennsylvania Port Authority and PA Sea Grant What: Mission of Care for Northwest Pennsylvania’s Forestland presentation by John Noel Bartlett, development director of the Foundation for Sustainable Forests When: Tuesday, Oct.9, at 7 p.m. Where: Episcopal Cathedral of St. Paul, 134 W. 7th St., Erie Sponsored by: Episcopal Cathedral of St. Paul LEARN MORE This page brought to you by: USGS Aquatic organisms, unborn babies and young children are most vulnerable to reproductive and developmental harm from chemicals in PPCPs. Triclosan, a pesticide in antibacterial soaps; manufactured fragrances; and chemicals in pharmaceuticals can affect fetal growth and development because they interfere with natural hormones. Observed feminization of aquatic animals has raised concerns about these chemicals in rivers, lakes and streams. And more problems are surfacing. A UC Davis research team which has previously linked triclosan to disruption of reproductive hormone activity and of cell signaling in the brain found that triclosan also hinders muscle contractions at a cellular level, slows swimming in fish and reduces muscular strength in mice. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO Cindy Murray, left, and Pat Lupo, O.S.B., center are recognized by State Rep. John Hornaman for their work with JrPLEWA students. Northwestern High School teacher Cindy Murray is one of three teachers to receive a Great Lakes Sea Grant Network Stew- ardship Award for her work with high school students to tackle the problems of pharmaceuti- cals and personal care products (PPCPs). She helped lead the Junior Pennsylvania Lake Erie Water- shed Association (JrPLEWA), a group of students from nine high schools, including North- western, in their goal to educate the community and lawmakers about the issue. After doing research to edu- cate themselves about PPCPs and their effect on the environ- ment, they took action. They sur- veyed the public, interviewed pharmacists, and educated other students and the public about PPCPs. The group conducted many presentations at schools and conferences, including the Great Lakes Northwest Caucus, about the use and disposal of PPCPs. They also met with local state representatives and even went to Harrisburg and presented their recommendations to other elected officials from around the state. They urged lawmakers to introduce legislation to provide consumers with a safe way to get rid of unused pharmaceuticals. Pennsylvania House Bill 2466 was introduced in July. If passed, the bill would require pharma- ceutical manufactures to fund medicine take-back programs in Pennsylvania. ANNA MCCARTNEY, a communications and education specialist for Pennsylvania Sea Grant, can be reached by e-mail at [email protected]. Teacher, students lead PPCP education effort By ANNA McCARTNEY Contributing writer ANNA McCARTNEY/Contributed photo PA Sea Grant and LECOM School of Pharmacy have been staffing collection events like this one held in April in cooperation with DEA and UPMC Hamot. The partners will participate in another DEA National Prescription Drug Take Back collection event in the lobby of the Women’s Hospital this Friday, from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. See breakout for Saturday collection sites from 9 a.m. to noon. Knowledge gives us the oppor- tunity to fix problems. To be sure, educating people about the health and environ- mental problems caused by chemicals in pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PP- CPs) has not solved them. And with worldwide PPCP use in- creasing dramatically each year, these problems are worsening. ACS Chemical Neuroscience reported 4.02 billion prescrip- tions, at a cost of $319.9 billion, in the U.S. alone in 2011. This doesn’t include over-the-counter drugs. According to the Environ- mental Working Group (EWG), a Washington, D.C.-based advo- cacy organization, the average American uses approximately 10-15 personal care products daily (many which are applied more than once), many with harmful chemicals. However since 2010, when Sea Grant programs in Pennsylvania, Indiana, Illinois, New York and Ohio began work on their Great Lakes Restoration EPA educa- tion grant to address growing PPCP problems, there have been notable success stories. The group has exceeded its goal of reaching one million peo- ple and properly disposing one million pills. As of June 2012, the groups have reached 1,045,470 people and collected 2,265,644 pills. (Safe disposal keeps unused meds out of the environment and also prevents drug abuse and un- intentional poisoning.) Educated citizens are using purchasing power, changing their habits and properly disposing of unused meds at collection events and take-back sites. By also shar- ing their knowledge with friends, families, lawmakers and their communities, they are influenc- ing positive change. Teacher Lisa Raddock’s stu- dents at Fort LeBoeuf High School also shared their con- cerns with companies that make personal care products. It may seem fruitless, but when enough consumers act in unison and don’t give up, they can affect change. While it took three years of pressure from a large coalition of consumer and environmental groups, Johnson and Johnson has agreed to leave out harmful chemicals from their products sold in the U.S. The same prod- ucts without harmful ingredi- ents have been available in E.U. countries because the chemicals of concern are banned there. Students in JrPLEWA, a youth group with students from nine Erie schools, also made recom- mendations to lawmakers locally and in Harrisburg urging them to introduce legislation for a per- manent disposal program. While Sea Grant is still work- ing to develop a model take-back program, consumers now have more collection events and four new permanent return units where Erie County residents can safely drop off unused, unwanted or expired meds anonymously, with no required paperwork. A bill to address the hurdle of sustainable funding for take- back programs was introduced in Pennsylvania. Passage of House Bill 2466 would make pharma- ceutical manufacturers selling their product in the state respon- sible for disposal of unused dugs, starting Jan 1, 2014. Check with your state representative to ask about this bill. What else can you do? Visit EWG’s Skin Deep Cos- metics Database to check your personal care products — and to find safer brands. To get rid of your unwanted meds, attend one of the collection events or stop at one of the permanent drop boxes listed. ANNA MCCARTNEY, a communications and education specialist for Pennsylvania Sea Grant, can be reached by e-mail at [email protected]. Say ‘Good riddance’ Progress made in eliminating chemicals from the environment By ANNA McCARTNEY Contributing writer The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) will host its fifth nationwide medicine take- back collection since the fall of 2010. Drop off your unused, unwanted or expired meds at the following locations: Friday from 1 to 5 p.m.: ▀ UPMC Hamot Women’s Hospital lobby Saturday from 9 a.m. to noon: ▀ Lawrence Park, State Police Barracks ▀ Harborcreek Township Building ▀ Millcreek Township Municipal Building ▀ Highmark Direct Store on Peach Street ▀ Edinboro Police Department GET RID OF DRUGS ANNA McCARNTEY/Contributed photo Since fall of 2010 more than 1.5 million pounds (774 tons) of medication were collected nationwide in just 16 hours. ANNA McCARNTEY/Contributed photo No more tears or harmful chemicals including formaldehyde, phthalates, dioxane and triclosan in Johnson and Johnson products. With pressure from consumers, the company will phase out harmful chemicals from baby products in the U.S. by the end of 2013 and adult products by the end of 2015. ERIE COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH Four secure, permanent med return units at the Erie County Courthouse, Girard Borough Police, Edinboro Police or the Corry Police Department are available thanks to Safe Communities Erie and the Erie County Department of Health. Check out these websites to learn more: www.seagrant.psu.edu/publications/ greatlakes.htm www.ewg.org/skindeep www.unwantedmeds.org Tuesday, September 25, 2012 | Erie Times-News | GoErie.com | 11D
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Learn about environmental issues, their effect on your community and actions for your involvement.
Reconnect with your environmentSP19371
Do ads influence your PPCP buying habits? While articles are intendedto inform you using facts, advertisements are designed to influence you tobuy something even if it means distorting the truth. Collect PPCP ads andlist them according to their appeal. Do any of them imply: “Everybody elseis doing it,” or “users of this product are just like you”? Do the ads distortor omit facts, or use testimonials or endorsements by famous people or arespected person like a doctor? Design an ad to inform and influencepeople to only buy and use PPCPs that don’t harm youor the environment. Use your ad in a campaign toeducate others in your school or community. Sendyour ads for possible publication in “your space” toAnna McCartney, PA Sea Grant, 301 Peninsula Dr.,Suite 3, Erie, PA 16505.
What: Cascade Creek Restoration Walking WorksopWhere: Property located immediately adjacent to the BayfrontParkway at the entrance to the Niagara Pier condominiums andSunrise Senior LivingWhen: Wednesday at 6 p.m.Sponsored by: the Erie-Western Pennsylvania Port Authority andPA Sea Grant
What: Mission of Care for Northwest Pennsylvania’s Forestlandpresentation by John Noel Bartlett, development director of theFoundation for Sustainable ForestsWhen: Tuesday, Oct. 9, at 7 p.m.Where: Episcopal Cathedral of St. Paul, 134 W. 7th St., ErieSponsored by: Episcopal Cathedral of St. Paul
Learn More
This page brought to you by:
USGS
Aquatic organisms, unborn babies and young children are mostvulnerable to reproductive and developmental harm from chemicals inPPCPs. Triclosan, a pesticide in antibacterial soaps; manufacturedfragrances; and chemicals in pharmaceuticals can affect fetal growthand development because they interfere with natural hormones.Observed feminization of aquatic animals has raised concerns aboutthese chemicals in rivers, lakes and streams. And more problems aresurfacing. A UC Davis research team which has previously linkedtriclosan to disruption of reproductive hormone activity and of cellsignaling in the brain found that triclosan also hinders musclecontractions at a cellular level, slows swimming in fish and reducesmuscular strength in mice.
CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
Cindy Murray, left, and Pat Lupo, O.S.B., center are recognized byState Rep. John Hornaman for their work with JrPLEWA students.
Northwestern High Schoolteacher Cindy Murray is one ofthreeteacherstoreceiveaGreatLakes Sea Grant Network Stew-ardshipAwardforherworkwithhigh school students to tacklethe problems of pharmaceuti-cals and personal care products(PPCPs).
She helped lead the JuniorPennsylvania Lake Erie Water-shed Association (JrPLEWA),a group of students from ninehigh schools, including North-western, in their goal to educatethe community and lawmakersabout the issue.
After doing research to edu-cate themselves about PPCPsand their effect on the environ-ment, they took action. They sur-veyed the public, interviewedpharmacists,andeducatedotherstudents and the public about
PPCPs. The group conductedmany presentations at schoolsand conferences, including theGreat Lakes Northwest Caucus,about the use and disposal ofPPCPs.
They also met with local staterepresentatives and even wentto Harrisburg and presentedtheir recommendations to otherelectedofficialsfromaroundthestate. They urged lawmakers tointroduce legislation to provideconsumerswithasafewaytogetrid of unused pharmaceuticals.
Pennsylvania House Bill 2466wasintroducedinJuly.Ifpassed,the bill would require pharma-ceutical manufactures to fundmedicine take-back programsin Pennsylvania.
A N N A M C C A R T N E Y, acommunications and educationspecialist for Pennsylvania SeaGrant, can be reached by e-mail [email protected].
Teacher, students leadPPCP education effortBy ANNA McCARTNEYContributing writer
ANNA McCARTNEY/Contributed photo
PA Sea Grant and LECOM School of Pharmacy have been staffing collection events like this one held in April in cooperation with DEA and UPMCHamot. The partners will participate in another DEA National Prescription Drug Take Back collection event in the lobby of the Women’s Hospitalthis Friday, from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. See breakout for Saturday collection sites from 9 a.m. to noon.
Knowledgegivesustheoppor-tunity to fix problems.
To be sure, educating peopleabout the health and environ-mental problems caused bychemicals in pharmaceuticalsand personal care products (PP-CPs) has not solved them. Andwith worldwide PPCP use in-creasingdramaticallyeachyear,these problems are worsening.
ACS Chemical Neurosciencereported 4.02 billion prescrip-tions, at a cost of $319.9 billion,in the U.S. alone in 2011. Thisdoesn’t include over-the-counterdrugs.
According to the Environ-mental Working Group (EWG),a Washington, D.C.-based advo-cacy organization, the averageAmerican uses approximately10-15 personal care productsdaily (many which are appliedmore than once), many withharmful chemicals.
Howeversince2010,whenSeaGrantprogramsinPennsylvania,Indiana, Illinois, New York andOhio began work on their GreatLakes Restoration EPA educa-tion grant to address growingPPCPproblems,therehavebeennotable success stories.
The group has exceeded itsgoalofreachingonemillionpeo-ple and properly disposing onemillion pills. As of June 2012, thegroups have reached 1,045,470people and collected 2,265,644pills.(Safedisposalkeepsunusedmedsoutoftheenvironmentandalsopreventsdrugabuseandun-intentional poisoning.)
Educated citizens are usingpurchasingpower,changingtheirhabitsandproperlydisposingofunusedmedsatcollectioneventsandtake-backsites.Byalsoshar-ingtheirknowledgewithfriends,families, lawmakers and theircommunities, they are influenc-ing positive change.
Teacher Lisa Raddock’s stu-dents at Fort LeBoeuf HighSchool also shared their con-cerns with companies thatmake personal care products.It may seem fruitless, but whenenough consumers act in unisonanddon’tgiveup, theycanaffectchange.Whileit tookthreeyearsofpressurefromalargecoalition
of consumer and environmentalgroups, Johnson and Johnsonhas agreed to leave out harmful
chemicals from their productssold in the U.S. The same prod-ucts without harmful ingredi-ents have been available in E.U.countriesbecausethechemicalsof concern are banned there.
StudentsinJrPLEWA,ayouthgroup with students from nineErie schools, also made recom-mendationstolawmakerslocallyand in Harrisburg urging themtointroducelegislationforaper-manent disposal program.
While Sea Grant is still work-ingtodevelopamodeltake-backprogram, consumers now havemore collection events and fournew permanent return unitswhereErieCountyresidentscansafelydropoffunused,unwantedor expired meds anonymously,with no required paperwork.
A bill to address the hurdleof sustainable funding for take-backprogramswasintroducedin
Pennsylvania. Passage of HouseBill 2466 would make pharma-ceutical manufacturers sellingtheirproductinthestaterespon-siblefordisposalofunuseddugs,starting Jan 1, 2014. Check withyour state representative to askabout this bill.
What else can you do?
Visit EWG’s Skin Deep Cos-metics Database to check yourpersonalcareproducts—andtofind safer brands. To get rid ofyourunwantedmeds,attendoneofthecollectioneventsorstopatoneofthepermanentdropboxeslisted.
A N N A M C C A R T N E Y, acommunications and educationspecialist for Pennsylvania SeaGrant, can be reached by e-mail [email protected].
Say ‘Good riddance’Progress made in eliminating chemicals from the environmentBy ANNA McCARTNEYContributing writer
The Drug EnforcementAdministration (DEA) will host itsfifth nationwide medicine take-back collection since the fall of2010. Drop off your unused,unwanted or expired meds at thefollowing locations:Friday from 1 to 5 p.m.:▀UPMC Hamot Women’s
Hospital lobbySaturday from 9 a.m. to noon:▀Lawrence Park, State Police
Barracks▀Harborcreek Township Building▀Millcreek Township Municipal
Building▀Highmark Direct Store on
Peach Street▀Edinboro Police Department
Get rid of druGS
ANNA McCARNTEY/Contributed photo
Since fall of 2010 more than 1.5 million pounds (774 tons)of medication were collected nationwide in just 16 hours.
ANNA McCARNTEY/Contributed photo
No more tears or harmful chemicals includingformaldehyde, phthalates, dioxane and triclosan inJohnson and Johnson products. With pressure fromconsumers, the company will phase out harmful chemicalsfrom baby products in the U.S. by the end of 2013 and adultproducts by the end of 2015.
ERIE COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH
Four secure, permanent med return units atthe Erie County Courthouse, Girard BoroughPolice, Edinboro Police or the Corry PoliceDepartment are available thanks to SafeCommunities Erie and the Erie CountyDepartment of Health.
Check out these websitesto learn more:
www.seagrant.psu.edu/publications/greatlakes.htm
www.ewg.org/skindeepwww.unwantedmeds.org
Tuesday, September 25, 2012 | Erie Times-News | GoErie.com | 11D
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