CEH Strategies Blog
New & Notable Developments
It’s a Go! WA’s Statewide Pharmaceutical Stewardship Program Launched!
Washington State Celebrates the Official Start of the First Statewide, Comprehensive Drug Take-Back Program Operated by the Pharmaceutical Industry! A fitting subtitle is "good things come to those who organize and persist". It took many years of educating,...
Healthy Air Protections Pass in Thurston County
Clean air and healthy lungs are even more important for staying well during the COVID-19 pandemic. Local officials in Thurston County acted to restrict vaping in public spaces to reduce exposure to the many harmful chemicals in vapor, including nicotine and known...
Shining A Light on Antibiotic Overuse in Meat Production
We depend on antibiotics being there when we need them. Antibiotics help us fight off infections that range from simple to life-threatening. Yet harmful bacteria are also endlessly trying to fight off the drugs through gene mutations that render available antibiotics...
The Sticky Problem of Safe Sharps Disposal
A worker sorting materials at a recycling facility feels a needle pierce their protective glove. Once again used syringes were tossed into a recycling bin by a confused or unaware resident. The recycling line is shut down while the worker is assisted and co-workers...
No Public Vaping Ordinances Enacted in 2 More Washington Counties
As the youth vaping epidemic continues and public health officials scramble to figure out serious lung illnesses and deaths linked to vaping, the local Boards of Health in Skagit and Jefferson counties have taken action to prohibit vaping in public. With these policy...
Pharmaceutical Stewardship Passes in Oregon, 4th Law in Nation!
A fourth state Legislature has voted overwhelmingly for a pharmaceutical stewardship, a.k.a. extended producer responsibility, approach to providing convenient drug take-back services to all residents. After many years of discussion on the issue, the Oregon...
Another look at medicine disposal products: performance and effectiveness?
My latest dive into assessing whether medicine disposal products provide a safe, effective, and environmentally sound way to dispose of pharmaceuticals is now out in report form. Medicine Disposal Products: an overview of products & performance questions examines...
National Association of Counties article on WA drug take-back successes!
Thanks to NACo for helping share the news about successful pharmaceutical stewardship laws in Washington State. NACo County News published my article explaining how local policies served as innovative models and drove the adoption of WA's statewide law. ...
15th National DEA Drug Take-Back Event Captures Almost 1 Million Pounds!
In just 4 hours on Saturday April 28th, people across the U.S. returned almost 1 million pounds of leftover and expired medicines for safe disposal. The 15th National DEA Drug Take-Back Day netted 949,046 pounds of drugs or 475.5 tons! Complete results of the...
Secure Drug Take-Back Act Becomes Law in WA!
Proponents of pharmaceutical stewardship in Washington State are celebrating a new law to help reduce medicine misuse, poisonings, overdoses, and that will also help reduce pharmaceutical pollution - the WA Secure Drug Take-Back Act. This...