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07251 April 27, 2007
Weighing a ton
Michigan Presbyterians help rid community of pharmaceuticals by Greg Peterson Special to Presbyterian News Service
MARQUETTE, MI - Northern Michigan Presbyterians honored Earth Day by turning in tens of thousands of pharmaceutical pills and narcotics with an estimated street value of half a million dollars during the third annual Earth Keeper Clean Sweep.
The 2007 Pharmaceutical Clean Sweep targeted out-of-date and unwanted medications of all kinds, according to Carl Lindquist, executive director of the Superior Watershed Partnership. Lindquist estimated that over one ton of pharmaceuticals and personal care products were turned in by the public.
"We had a great public turnout, a lot of people showed up with old medications," said Lindquist said. "We are again breaking records for the Great Lakes and maybe the nation."
The Rev. Dave Anderson, pastor of Grace Presbyterian Church in Sagola, MI, is thankful for the interfaith clean sweeps because "I worry about the legacy our generation will leave for future ones, but it is good to know that we are doing something about it through opportunities like this."
More than 2,000 people turned in items but many had also collected unwanted or unneeded pharmaceuticals from other family and friends, organizers said.
Anderson, who serves as the chaplain for the Dickinson County Health Care System, added that "we all need to realize that the pick-up and disposal of polluting waste like electronic equipment and outdated pharmaceuticals is making a big difference now and for future generations. As God's children, we feel like we are provided a concrete, tangible way to make a difference in our environment."
The 2007 clean sweep was coordinated with the Upper Peninsula chapter of the Michigan Pharmacists Association and numerous law enforcement agencies including the DEA and Michigan Sheriff's Association. Pharmacists and law enforcement officers were present at all collection sites to ensure security and proper collection of the pharmaceuticals, Lindquist said.
The third annual Earth Keeper Clean Sweep was coordinated by the Superior Watershed Partnership and the Cedar Tree Institute, both Marquette-based non-profit environmental groups. More than 140 congregations from nine faith groups, including local Presbyterians, joined in sponsoring the clean-up. Collectively, the group is known as Earth Keepers.
Presbyterian Earth Keeper team member Sue Piasini of Grace church in Sagola said she "saw a flock of geese when I was going to the clean sweep and I thought 'we are going to take care of the water for you' and it was such a nice sunny day."
"One plastic bag had over 2,000 pills and they had to sort them all out," Piasini said of the pharmacists who oversaw the collection. "One person brought a full duffle bag of pharmaceuticals," said Piasini, who has two grandchildren and is the mother of four grown children.
Presbyterian Earth Keeper Lynnea Kuzak, who volunteered at First United Methodist Church in Manistique, MI, said she was thanked by a resident who lost her husband to cancer last September and wished that all his medication had been properly disposed of.
"Another person told me 'I didn't like putting them down the toilet,'" said Kuzak, 28, director of Christian Education at First Presbyterian Church in Marquette.
Over 100 people dropped off pharmaceuticals at First Presbyterian Church in Escanaba, MI. The oldest medicine dropped off in Escanaba was 43-year-old sodium barbital tablets in four different strengths.
The Presbyterian church in Escanaba filled up six 30-gallon barrels and three five-gallon containers.
"Some participants held medications for many years after the death of a relative because they did not know what to do with them," said Jill Wiese Martin, site manager and a member of the First Presbyterian Church in Escanaba. "Most people were relieved to be able to bring this material in without any hassles and many were very aware that this material should not be just flushed," said Weise Martin.
"We need a systematic way to routinely and safely dispose of unused and unwanted medications," said Weise Martin, who works in environmental sciences. "Not enough organized means for collection and disposal exist in our country."
In addition to keeping surplus pharmaceuticals out of the hands of drug traffickers, proper disposal also helps the environment, organizers said. "We need to protect and preserve God's creation for all, even to the extent that future adverse outcomes can be avoided and minimized," Weise Martin said. "This drug collection provides an another mission opportunity in God's world and hope to our children that we care about the world we are leaving them."
Greg Peterson is Earth Keeper's volunteer media advisor. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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