Earth Day

Every day, we hear about climate change and how human actions can impact our planet. Every year, on April 22nd, we celebrate Earth Day to celebrate and protect the environment. Drug, alcohol, and substance abuse can hurt the Earth. For one, using the substances creates a lot of waste. After people drink alcohol or use inhalants or drugs, the empty containers used to hold these items remain. Of course, if people don’t finish the substances they’re using, that could be a huge problem as well, since the substances can pollute the environment. And people can also contract diseases from used drug paraphernalia such as needles, so that poses a problem as well. To counter these problems, government agencies and municipalities hold drug take-back programs that encourage people to being unused drugs to designated areas for proper disposal. They sometimes help them exchange clean needles for ones that people used to inject drugs. People under the influence of drugs and alcohol may only be concerned with using or hiding their use. They many not care about responsible disposal programs or finding clean needles. If people have addictions, they may not want to recycle alcohol bottles or drug paraphernalia or packaging. They might be embarrassed because they fear that others will think they have alcohol or drug problems. Drugs and alcohol hurt the people who use them but can also harm the environment. Treating addiction can help heal people and the planet. Sources history.com – Earth Day 2020 nepis.epa.gov – How to Dispose of Medicines Properly

Medical disclaimer:

Sunshine Behavioral Health strives to help people who are facing substance abuse, addiction, mental health disorders, or a combination of these conditions. It does this by providing compassionate care and evidence-based content that addresses health, treatment, and recovery.

Licensed medical professionals review material we publish on our site. The material is not a substitute for qualified medical diagnoses, treatment, or advice. It should not be used to replace the suggestions of your personal physician or other health care professionals.