Sulfamethoxazole Cocktail
Monica Grandy
Tired of scheduling inconvenient doctor appointments just for a bottle of penicillin? Frustrated with endless lines at pharmacies? Fed up with the astronomical price of Tylenol PM? Good news! Recent studies have determined traces of hundreds of drugs (both prescription and over the counter) in the public drinking water of twenty-five cities across the nation. So tear up that prescription, step away from the pharmaceutical counter, and stick your head under the nearest tap. Free drugs for everyone!
A recent article from The Washington Post reported that traces of caffeine, ibuprofen, carbamazepine (a mood stabilizer), and sulfamethoxazole (an antibiotic used to treat urinary tract infections. Score!) have been found in DC's drinking water. Although the purification process that occurs at sewage treatment plants rids our water of bacteria, traces of these drugs remain present. In fact, not even boiling tap water will completely purify it and may even drive these contaminants into a more concentrated state. (Double score!) Don't get too excited though. The article also cited several scientists who claimed that the amount of drugs found in the water is so small that no harm will be done to anyone. Lame.
Despite such low concentrations, the Environmental Protection Agency is still taking action. Sort of. According to a report from MSNBC, the EPA has examined nearly three-hundred drugs from public water sources across the nation and so far, only one has been selected for regulation: nitroglycerin, commonly used for heart problems and also handy for making explosives. Other than the EPA's quasi-attempt at purifying our drug water, no one really wants to do anything about it. The government has yet to set any kind of national standard concerning safe vs. harmful concentration levels and because of this, the FDA has yet to review any of the drugs found in the water.
In short, drink up while you can! Sewage treatment plants have no plans of cleansing the water of drug residue and with pharmaceutical sales on the rise, before long we'll all be too high to care.