WASHINGTON, Aug. 22, 2007
Sewer Water Gives Glimpse Into Drug Use
Oregon State Researchers Sampled Wastewater Streams In 10 U.S. Cities
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The science behind the testing is simple. Nearly every drug — legal and illicit — that people take leaves the body. That waste goes into toilets and then into wastewater treatment plants. (AP/CBS)
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The test wouldn't be used to finger any single person as a drug user. But it would help federal law enforcement and other agencies track the spread of dangerous drugs, like methamphetamines, across the country.
Oregon State University scientists tested 10 unnamed American cities for remnants of drugs, both legal and illegal, from wastewater streams. They were able to show that they could get a good snapshot of what people are taking.
"It's a community urinalysis," said Caleb Banta-Green, a University of Washington drug abuse researcher who was part of the Oregon State team. The scientists presented their results Tuesday at a meeting of the American Chemical Society in Boston.
Two federal agencies have taken samples from U.S. waterways to see if drug testing a whole city is doable, but they haven't gotten as far as the Oregon researchers.
One of the early results of the new study showed big differences in methamphetamine use city to city. One urban area with a gambling industry had meth levels more than five times higher than other cities. Yet methamphetamine levels were virtually nonexistent in some smaller Midwestern locales, said Jennifer Field, the lead researcher and a professor of environmental toxicology at Oregon State.
The ingredient Americans consume and excrete the most was caffeine, Field said.
Cities in the experiment ranged from 17,000 to 600,000 in population, but Field declined to identify them, saying that could harm her relationship with the sewage plant operators.
She plans to start a survey for drugs in the wastewater of at least 40 Oregon communities.
The science behind the testing is simple. Nearly every drug — legal and illicit — that people take leaves the body. That waste goes into toilets and then into wastewater treatment plants.
"Wastewater facilities are wonderful places to understand what humans consume and excrete," Field said.
In the study presented Tuesday, one teaspoon of untreated sewage water from each of the cities was tested for 15 different drugs. Field said researchers can't calculate how many people in a town are using drugs.
She said that one fairly affluent community scored low for illicit drugs except for cocaine. Cocaine and ecstasy tended to peak on weekends and drop on weekdays, she said, while methamphetamine and prescription drugs were steady throughout the week.
Field said her study suggests that a key tool currently used by drug abuse researchers — self-reported drug questionnaires — underestimates drug use.
"We have so few indicators of current use," said Jane Maxwell of the Addiction Research Institute at the University of Texas, who wasn't part of the study. "This could be a very interesting new indicator."
David Murray, chief scientist for U.S. Office of National Drug Control Policy, said the idea interests his agency.
Murray said the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is testing federal wastewater samples just to see if that's a good method for monitoring drug use. But he didn't know how many tests were conducted or where.
The EPA will "flush out the details" on testing, Benjamin Grumbles joked. The EPA assistant administrator said the agency is already looking at the problem of potential harm to rivers and lakes from legal pharmaceuticals.
The idea of testing on a citywide basis for drugs makes sense, as long as it doesn't violate people's privacy, said Tom Angell of the Students for Sensible Drug Policy, a Washington-based group that advocates legalizing most drugs.
"This seems to be less offensive than individualized testing," he said.
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See all 56 Commentsit will if they can do it secretly ... just like everything else.
it''s all ok ''cause it''s in the name of national security.
ban alcoholic beverages as a waste of vital
land which is needed not for drunks but for
food to feed people with. too much malevolent
land use. just stay sober. and clean.
scoff not at the law. have even more strict
and severe punishments for violations of
the sexual penal code too. require marriage
licenses to be shown by couples renting motel
rooms. ban porno. and arrest its purveyors
and manufacturers and all participants in it.
concerned parent will get you.
Posted by lucious9 at 08:49 AM : Aug 22, 2007
Yes, and the effluent communities too!
So meth is a drug, but caffeine, which does the same thing, is just an ingredient...
Subliminal aversion therapy, or just writers'' ignorance?
If caffeine had anywhere near the same effect on a person as meth there would have been a rush on to buy the large cans of coffee--care to guess why it didn''t happen?
www.leap.cc
Law Enforcement Against Prohibition
www.mpp.org
Marijuana Policy Project
But how is this different then going through peoples trash?
And yes, the self-reported surveys are wrong about drug use.
Reason 1: Who are you asking?
2: Are they telling the truth?
3: Are they even responding?
This Tom Angell is right about it being okay when used on wide scale, but what happens when they are taping your waste water?
"Uh.... you musta gotten my neighbors sample."
Wonder how they will tap into septic tanks? hahahahha
Posted by httpwwwnews at 09:19 AM : Aug 22, 2007"
Time to invest in Port-a-potty!
I think this research is great. This nation is the harbor of boat loads of sociopathology. I think any methods that expose us for what we are is fantastic. This society needs to look at itself in the mirror more and more and better to start now because that''s exactly what we''re in the process of doing anyway.
Posted by rushlimpdrug at 10:27 AM : Aug 22, 2007
Nope, They will continue to waste our money, Tax the middle class to extinction, and when the whole country is complete shambles and disrepair, they''ll look around looking all doey eyed, and say Oh well. At least we know is on drugs.
They could not tax you at all and it wouldn''t be enough money, our infrastructure would surely collapse, everything would be privatized and the masses of people wouldn''t be able to participate in the reported booming economy.
When will this dumbed down nation of people realize when the oil industry doubles the price of gas it has far more impact on their lives than the local government adding a 10 cent gas tax. Do the math lemmings---corporations are ruling the world and it''s gonna get uglier as people continue to buy into the corporate media''s use of distraction to attack a government that already serves their needs. Give the people something to hate...distract them from the true enemyh. So while taxes are eliminated for the wealthiest 1 % and hundreds of more billionaires are created, millions of people in poverty will surface and hundreds of million will be working pay check to pay check until age 67 and beyond to maintain the gentry.
The old european world order will return while people are upset their drug infested **** is being tested.
[Posted by lilrich453 at 11:06 AM : Aug 22, 2007]
have you heard of the ''war on ignorance''?
it''s a new campaign being waged to enhance national security and return to our roots of god fearing morality.
they have a device like a police radar ... just drive by the house and it lights up ... they can detect ignorant fools (and so much more) ... and it''s adjustable ... so they can tweak it to detect all kinds of things ... both actions and thoughts ... smoking cigarettes, drinking, pornography, deception, jealousy, religosity, and other sundry categories.
do you mind if they drive by your house?
Higher gas prices always means higher prices for products that are shipped, made, or made from petrochemicals or fuel. It isn''t hard to figure it out. Privatization has been going on for decades now. Do you think we''re better off now? We''ve been selling our roads to Co''s. from other countries, I wonder if that had anything to do with the bridge collapse up in Minn. HHHHmmmm
http://www.greywater.com/
Have they thought about tapping into the waste water of the Capitol building or, heaven forbid, the White House?
Affluent effluent shows that the rich recreate with cocaine on weekends...but the poor are stoned all week long. This explains how the rich get richer and the poor get poorer.
Cities have to meet air quality standards or lose federal funding. Soon they will have to meet drug-free sewage standards or lose federal funding! Drop a bag of cocaine down the toilet, and there goes the whole neighborhood...
crawling up thru my toilet bowl
is no different than breaking down my front door.
On another note; Does this mean that super desperate drug addicts will be taking sewage shots?
Posted by Dems08 at 11:05 AM : Aug 22, 2007
Seems to be that there should be some probable cause for law enforcement to do this, unless this kind of fishing expedition is the new legal systems'' way of doing business.
Somehow, the Constitutional imperative for the pursuit of happiness might include moderation in all things. But the zero tolerance avenue puts more people in jail, thereby cutting down on productivity and increasing taxes for building, maintaining, and manning jails.
The idea of government by the people for the people is messed up in "throwing away" the people who don''t agree 100% with the authorative/moral perogatives of a few career types. Maybe if the EPA and law enforcement starts in those communities with higher percentages of minorities, the focus could be on putting them away for the betterment of our American way of life. Maybe not.
I could see Insurance companies monitoring the toiled at their office to check what kind of prescriptions you are taking when you drop by to sign your life insurance paperwork.
I''ll stick with my septic system and start toting around a plastic bag.
"This seems to be less offensive than individualized testing," he said.
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Is this guy an idiot?????? Makes sense for what. So what if there are drugs in the toilet. What are you going to do about it. Nothing. So what is the point? SEEMS less offensive than individualized testing. What the h e l l does that mean. Were the considering testing the whole community on an individual basis, but thought this was a better idea.
This drug war has gotten way out of hand. It is the government''s first favorite excuse for violating civil liberties, then comes terrorism. Have Americans just turned into complete sheep that need a keeper. Good Lord.
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