①As standards of living rise and the world’s population grows, the demands for freshwater have been increasing. ②Along with this increase is growing pressure to protect this precious resource. ③Efforts to protect the water supply have traditionally focused on regulating industrial and municipal waste that is discharged into rivers and lakes. ④However, in recent years researchers have identified a new threat to world freshwater supplies. ⑤Studies have identified in freshwater around the world a number of medicinal drugs, ranging from painkillers such as acetaminophen, to antibiotics, to cholesterol absorption inhibitors. ⑥These drugs easily enter the water supply when they are eliminated through digestion or improperly disposed of by directly flushing them down a toilet. ⑦Although the amount of these drugs in freshwater supplies is small (a few parts per billion or trillion), their impact on the freshwater supply and on human health has yet to be established. ⑧Given this uncertainty, efforts are underway to address this problem. ⑨One simple, inexpensive approach involves educating consumers about proper medication disposal methods. ⑩This effort involves educating consumers to be made aware that medicines should not be poured into a sink or flushed, but should be discarded through local drug collection programs. ⑪For example, many pharmacies collect unused or unwanted medicines and some communities have special medicine collection sites. ⑫With increased education, consumers can dispose of medication properly and help protect freshwater resources.