San Francisco May Lead the Way for Full Drug Take-Back Programs

San Francisco’s board of supervisors recently approved an ordinance for a full drug take-back program to combat prescription drug abuse and contaminants in drinking water, which would make it the first major city to implement such a program.

Drug take-back programs allow for the safe disposal of expired or unused medications, but opponents of these programs state that these programs are costly for cities and for consumers. One opponent, James M. Spears of the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, stated that “collection points could become a haven of violence by thieves and addicts” (Ackerman, 2015).

Chief Executive Scott Cassel of the Product Stewardship Institute stated that, “This is a major step forward. The passage of this ordinance amplifies the growing tide of legislation being passed . . . and holds manufacturers responsible for the postconsumer management of their products” (Ackerman, 2015). The San Francisco ordinance only needs Mayor Edwin Lee’s signature to become a law.

References

Ackerman, M. (2015). San Francisco could become first city with full drug take-back program. Retrieved from http://www.thefix.com/content/san-francisco-could-become-first-city-full-drug-take-back-program