OTC drugs: Aspirin is a classic analgesic, but is it green?
Earlier this month we started a series on sustainable drug use -- which was fun and all -- but we realized a more practical guide might be in order. With that in mind, here's everything we know about common over-the-counter remedies. To view all the posts in this series, go here.
Say what you want about Reyes syndrome and stomach irritation, but I'm always going to have a warm spot for aspirin. First off, the stuff's been in use since before recorded time. Willow bark, which contains high concentrations of salicylic acid (a precursor to aspirin), has been chewed for thousands of years, and ancient medical texts from Egypt, Sumer, and Assyria all mention it, as does the great granddaddy of all doctors, Hippocrates.
Over time, researchers figured out how to isolate the salicin, but found that it irritated the stomach. Further experimentation led to acetylsalicylic acid, which the Bayer company dubbed "aspirin," and touted as a less-irritating version of salicylic acid-derived drugs. Although aspirin was pushed aside by the development of acetominophen and ibuprofen, it is still a very effective pain reliever, inhibits blood clotting, and can reduce the risk and severity of strokes and heart attacks.
But is it green? Well, not really. From what I've been able to gather, most aspirin is produced by treating sodium phenoxide (a coal-tar derivative, via benzene) with carbon dioxide. The resulting salicylic acid is treated with yet another chemical, acetic anhydride, which is itself the product of carbon-based compounds.
In spite of aspirin's questionable green bona fides, I am a little hesitant to completely write it off. On the one hand, it is generally the product of non-renewable resources, which are processed with various carbon-based chemicals. On the other hand, short of acuuncture, it seems hard to find a truly organic compound that does all the things that aspirin does. Moreover, given the fact that willows are deciduous trees and thus take a long time to develop, I'm not sure that we want to go back to willow-based solutions!
Green Grade: C-/D
Say what you want about Reyes syndrome and stomach irritation, but I'm always going to have a warm spot for aspirin. First off, the stuff's been in use since before recorded time. Willow bark, which contains high concentrations of salicylic acid (a precursor to aspirin), has been chewed for thousands of years, and ancient medical texts from Egypt, Sumer, and Assyria all mention it, as does the great granddaddy of all doctors, Hippocrates. Over time, researchers figured out how to isolate the salicin, but found that it irritated the stomach. Further experimentation led to acetylsalicylic acid, which the Bayer company dubbed "aspirin," and touted as a less-irritating version of salicylic acid-derived drugs. Although aspirin was pushed aside by the development of acetominophen and ibuprofen, it is still a very effective pain reliever, inhibits blood clotting, and can reduce the risk and severity of strokes and heart attacks.
But is it green? Well, not really. From what I've been able to gather, most aspirin is produced by treating sodium phenoxide (a coal-tar derivative, via benzene) with carbon dioxide. The resulting salicylic acid is treated with yet another chemical, acetic anhydride, which is itself the product of carbon-based compounds.
In spite of aspirin's questionable green bona fides, I am a little hesitant to completely write it off. On the one hand, it is generally the product of non-renewable resources, which are processed with various carbon-based chemicals. On the other hand, short of acuuncture, it seems hard to find a truly organic compound that does all the things that aspirin does. Moreover, given the fact that willows are deciduous trees and thus take a long time to develop, I'm not sure that we want to go back to willow-based solutions!
Green Grade: C-/D
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