Drugs have caused significant environmental damage to our planet Earth.
Our home planet has struggled to survive because of the harm drugs continue to cause around the world.
These are the top 5 effects on our planet drugs have caused.
1. Damage to Our Planet Drugs Have Caused: Drug Trafficking
Deforestation is one of the unfortunate effects of drug trafficking. The Amazon and the surrounding jungle continues to face issues on a daily basis because of drug trafficking.
Did you know that there are quite a few steps for drugs, such as cocaine, to go through before it’s sold?
Cocaine requires plenty of refining and this process means more metric tons of waste to produce high-quality drugs. This drug is also highly destructive in many parts of South America. Damaging effects on soil and biodiversity constantly feel the consequences of producing cocaine.
The cocaine trade has no doubt contributed to a widespread loss of trees and deforestation in the world we live in.
2. Prescribed Pharmaceuticals Create Chemical Byproducts
Did you know that even prescribed medications end up causing damage to our planet? When prescribed medications are disposed of incorrectly our planet becomes contaminated.
It’s a public health threat when prescribed medications linger in our environment.
One possible solution to help ease this growing epidemic is to work on creating biodegradable drugs that eventually disappear from our environment without leaving behind harmful drug residue.
Drug manufacturers need to conduct environmental assessments before trace amounts of these drugs end up living in the environment for years and even decades down the road.
3. Ecosystems are Destroyed from Drugs
Another environmental factor that connects drugs to our planet includes opium. Opium, in addition to cocaine, is also to blame for the deforestation in South American countries for years.
Opium also affects our ecosystems.
The presence of opium in our world creates hazardous byproducts that ultimately end up killing our important ecosystems. In Peru, for example, the burning of plants to make drugs like opium are leaving our forests empty. No forests mean fewer animals.
Fewer animals mean a disruption in the ecosystem. Animals depend on ecosystems for survival. Opium is a seriously addictive drug which means it’s constantly in high demand, too. Learn more about the damage done by addictive drugs to the human race from our sources.
4. Drugs Polluting Our Water
The environmental impact of growing drugs has also affected our waterways. Water quality experts are saying that chemicals found in drugs are contaminating our faucet drinking water.
There are studies that show adverse effects on aquatic life to back up this data, too. The EPA warns that consumers are to blame for this increase in contaminated water.
People need to abide by guidelines and take their unused drugs to locations that accept it to prevent even more damage to the local and foreign waterways.
5. Livestock and Agriculture Face Problems Created by Drugs
The livestock industry is yet another environmental target for the production of drugs.
Farm production is another crucial area that needs to focus on eliminating the growth of drugs because of livestock raising. The government needs to find new methods to combat the growing cocaine industry because drugs are taking over a room for what should be livestock.
Livestock continues to bring in income for families living in areas of South America. Once this essential form of revenue disappears, many families will lose their source of money to support their loved ones.
Seeking More Information On Our Environment?
These are five effects on our planet drugs have caused. We need to limit bioactive waste from harming our environment.
If you want to learn more about the state of our environment, please check out our helpful blog articles today.