Bioaccumulation Pros And Cons

There are many social issues surrounding pharmaceuticals and bioaccumulation. Major social issues currently affecting the United States are the over-prescribing of medicines and opioid addiction. The nation's medication use is higher than ever. According to CBS news, researchers have found that nearly 70 percent of Americans are on at least one prescription drug with more than half of those people being on at least two. Of these prescriptions, the majority are opioids and antidepressants. Doctors are misprescribing and overprescribing drugs. The numbers are astounding. A study shows that in 2003, an estimated 3.4 billion prescriptions were filled in stores and via mail in the United States. That equates to roughly 11.7 prescriptions filled for every single person in the country (Ozgur). While prescriptions are beneficial and crucial, they are often …show more content…
The issue of water being polluted with personal care products and pharmaceuticals is a worldwide issue. European legislators want to tighten regulations on both the European Union and at national levels to lower the potentially harmful impact of pharmaceuticals on the environment and world. Politicians, medicine regulators, and environmentalists are all working to come to action and show the world the effects of the medicine on the environment. Like all politics, there are different views about what needs to be done. Some believe that stricter regulation of the production process with consideration of environmental issues is enough. Others support the the idea of tough environmental standards. The majority of the pharmaceutical industry believes that voluntary initiatives should be sufficient (Milmo). Unlike most political issues, there is a clear problem identified and it is undisputed. Regardless the avenue, there is a universal problem that is seen by all parties