Hide Pills in Poo - Govt Suggestion to Protect Marine Life

Here’s a tip you never thought you’d hear from the government: hide old pills in your poop!

Many people dump their prescription (and recreational) drugs into the toilet, as per advice from the FDA. As a result, fish and amphibians are being exposed to harmful chemicals. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration suggests(SAMHSA) that if it’s buried in stool, the harmful properties won’t make it to the sea.

OK, so I should mention here that they don’t recommend using your own poop. “Wrap them up in used kitty litter or other pet droppings, the government advises,” Reuters cleared up. I almost had you!

Environmentalists are worried that harsh drugs like oxycodone, fetanyl and methylphenidate could prove detrimental to marine life.

“Mixing prescription drugs with an undesirable substance, such as used coffee grounds or kitty litter, and putting them in impermeable, nondescript containers, such as empty cans or sealable bags, will further ensure the drugs are not diverted,” SAMHSA recommends.

“Ferret waste, like nearly any other form of pet waste, can be effectively used to help prevent the abuse of unused prescription drugs,” a SAMHSA spokesman said.

So what do they suggest? To go out and buy a ferret, slap on a pair of rubber gloves, and get digging? I’m guessing you’d have to do it while it was fresh too.

If digging through poop isn’t your thing, you could always head to your local Starbucks. They give out old coffee grinds for free. They’re intended to be used as garden fertilizer, but it sounds like pill-poppers could make good use of old espresso bean leftovers too.