Sewage Tested for Signs of Cocaine

[Newsjock]

By Bill Turque
Washington Post Staff Writer
Monday, March 27, 2006; Page B01

If government studies are a reliable guide, about 25,000 residents of Fairfax County -- 2.5 percent of its population -- have used cocaine in the past year. The same data from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health suggest that about 9,000 have partaken within the past 30 days.

Those estimates, based on personal and computer-assisted interviews, rely almost completely on the candor of the respondents. The Bush administration, hoping to someday broaden the government's knowledge of illegal drug use, is probing the mysteries of Fairfax's sewage for a clearer picture.

Earlier this month, the county agreed to participate in a White House pilot program to analyze wastewater from communities throughout the Potomac River Basin for the urinary byproducts of cocaine.

"It's a very strange request," Board of Supervisors Chairman Gerald E. Connolly (D) said of the White House program. "We're ready to do anything and everything we can do to eliminate illicit drug use. But I'd want to know a lot more about what this will actually lead to."

The White House Office of National Drug Control Policy said it is not seeking to single out specific localities. ... But David Murray, special assistant to national drug czar John P. Walters, said wastewater testing, which has been tried in Europe, "certainly has that potential."

more

[mdmc]

1. the war on drugs

makes it in to the sewer!

[Webster Green]

10. Exactly where it belongs.

This is absurd.:rofl:

[OKthatsIT]

27. Taking surveillance to new lows~

These IDIOTS are unbelievable.

[babylonsister]

2. They can't find housing for Katrina survivors, but they can test

droppings for cocaine? :crazy: Who's making the list of priorities here?

[sui generis]

3. see other thread

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=218&topic_id=1562&mesg_id=1562

[Deep13]

4. Why are our rats so paranoid?

Could it be nose candy? We must find out!

[laruemtt]

5. was this in the sewer

that serves the WH :evilgrin:

[sweetheart]

6. nazi's really crawling up your ass

pretty soon they'll be at my small intestine,
i can feel this scratching... everyone needs
a drugs war nazi in their bowels, its so refresthing
to feel that taxpayer sponsored invasion of
assholes in to assholes.

[sui generis]

7. so a little math here

You would have to test the volume of effluent, divided by the average renal and hepatic volume over time of the average cocaine user, factored in with gallons per flush, plus all the rest of sanitary sewer use in that area, dishwashers, bathtubs, running water in sinks and showers, mortuaries, plus dental and medical offices and hospitals, not to mention hotels and motels. Also was this tested seven days a week 24/7 and then normalized to account for weekend use, special event use, or just some random drug dealer tossing a bunch of drugs down the toilet when his or her neighbor came knocking for Avon?

The findings are absolute utter total bullshit, literally. They don't have enough real data on the input side without assumptions piled upon assumptions to justify their findings.

[0007]

24. Couldn't have said it better.......'tis bullshit.

[htuttle]

8. "I have a dream..."

"..that my children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the content of their character, but rather the contents of their bladder... "

Eh, just doesn't have the same ring to it, does it?...

[wicket]

9. What's next- surveying the sewage for used tampons each month?

:puke:

[cyberpj]

11. Drugs in the water supply. Bet they looked for Prozac, first (articles):

But perhaps they're protecting their drug company buddies against law suits at this point by saying it's cocaine.

Check this out:

Prozac 'found in drinking water'
Traces of the antidepressant Prozac can be found in the nation's drinking water, it has been revealed.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/3545684.stm

Prozac in Drinking Water? Likely So
Water Treatment Plants Not Designed to Get Rid of Medications
http://www.webmd.com/content/Article/92/101794.htm

http://www.webmd.com/content/Article/92/101794.htm

[sofa king]

12. Does that mean that the Fairfax Cty Police have to confiscate the sewage?

Uncle Sam wants YOU
The Army
The Navy
The Marines
The Argentine Navy
The Fairfax County Police

--Scream, "Your Wars/Killer," Still Screaming

Really, I don't have any problem with the Fairfax County Police or their fine jail. I just don't ever, ever want to see either of them again.

[noonwitch]

16. Wouldn't their union object to such nasty work?

Mine would. They're cops, not sanitation workers.

[superconnected]

13. Republicans literally in your s*

[Ezlivin]

14. Man, this shit is good

Takes on a whole new meaning...

[Pastiche423]

30. lol

[wordpix2]

15. OMG--this is how they're spending their time? These pukes're friggin NUTS

These Repiglicans are absolutely INSANE, it's an outrage that we're spending tax dollars to have them swimming around in sewage looking for coke.

:grr: :thumbsdown:

[lumpy]

17. Is there 'gold' in that there septic tank

at the Ranch?

[otohara]

18. Is It Because Coke Users Are Clogging Up The Sewage

systems - because of all the Manitol used to cut coke?

[Dark]

19. Only 25,000, that seems a bit low. n/t

[Hobarticus]

20. Why?

I mean, why? What's the point?

[wordpix2]

21. bottom line: people runinng war on drugs as crazy as those running war in

Iraq. In fact, same admin is in charge, isn't it?

[raccoon]

22. Gosh, wouldn't you hate to be working at this?

makes a WalMart job look like your dream job!

[proud2BlibKansan]

23. This is just too bizarre for words.

[superconnected]

25. It says "more" but I don't see the link.

[DUHandle]

26. I wonder

how large their sample was.

[truthisfreedom]

28. and zero readiness spending for catastrophes like Katrina.

bushco has got EVERY single priority wrong.

[Trillo]

29. ($) How much is this going to raise sewer bills? ($) NT

[justabob]

32. I am curious about that too

My other question is if Fairfax has municipal water/sewer or if the sewage/water treatment is privately contracted.

[tonekat]

33. It's chartered as a public, non-profit utility

They tried to scam me this past summer, we had a leak in the supply pipe under our 50 year old house, some nasty flunky who drives around in one of the meter reader trucks tried to scare me into thinking I would have to pay for 300,000 gallons of water (his math).

Actually, you get pro-rated in the case of a leak, which is what finally happened. After they sent us some ridiculous bills to see if we'd actually pay them.

Why don't we just eliminate the need for them to test. A direct response would be vastly more efficient. Everyone! Downtown....pee on the occupants of the White House!

[Blue_Tires]

31. while they are at it

maybe they can check out the fluoridation of the drinking water! lol