San Francisco -- San Francisco would become the first city in the country to require that drug companies pay to collect and dispose of unwanted or expired drugs if controversial legislation at the Board of Supervisors on Tuesday is approved. Supervisor Ross Mirkarimi , author of the ordinance, says it's only fair that pharmaceutical companies pay for the safe disposal of their products, which otherwise are often flushed down the toilet or tossed in the garbage, contaminating the environment. Expired drugs that are kept around the house can also pose a health hazard if they're consumed. But drug companies are vehemently fighting the plan, saying the costs would simply mean drug prices would increase for consumers, and that the presence of drugs in the water supply is largely from human secretions -- not from drugs in the trash. Similar drug take-back programs have been attempted in several states including Washington, Oregon and Florida, but they've all failed under pressure from pharmaceutical companies. 'We are asking for the pharmaceutical industry to wise up and be a good corporate partner, to be a good neighbor here in San Francisco,' Mirkarimi said. 'All we're asking for is a bucket with a lid that is regulated so that people can have a controlled environment to bring back their medications to dispose of prudently -- that's it.' Under the legislation, modeled on a program in British Columbia, all producers of over-the-counter or prescription drugs would have to pay for drug-collection programs, probably set up at participating pharmacies, and for the safe disposal of the pharmaceuticals. The disposal would have to be offered to consumers for free. Any violator would be given a 30-day warning and would ultimately face fines if they didn't comply. Currently, a city resident wanting a safe way to dispose of, say, old Tylenol or Sudafed can purchase special envelopes from locations including Walgreens, Safeway or Kaiser for a few dollars apiece. Pop a bottle of pills in the envelope, stick it in the mail and it's off to an incinerator in Texas where the drugs are destroyed. The city's Department of the Environment offers similar envelopes for free, costing the city $3.75 each. The city has never publicized the program, but through word-of-mouth alone has handed out 8,000 envelopes in the past 18 months. Mirkarimi said the booming pharmaceutical industry is in a much better position to pay for drug disposal than the cash-strapped city. Representatives from the pharmaceutical industry either would not or did not return calls for comment. The Department of the Environment hasn't taken a position on Mirkarimi's plan, although spokesman Mark Westlund said, 'We recognize that it's an important issue, and we certainly want to find a solution that works in San Francisco.' Marjaneh Zarrehparvar , manager of the department's hazardous waste program, said the biggest concern regarding expired drugs is their potential to wind up in bays and oceans and harm aquatic life. But she said drinking water can also be affected by drugs in landfills leaching into the water supply. Studies have shown landfills leach everything from painkillers to steroids to antidepressants. Tony Winnicker , spokesman for Mayor Gavin Newsom, said the mayor is trying to work with Mirkarimi, drug company representatives and the Department of the Environment to come up with a solution everybody's behind. He hasn't decided whether to veto the legislation if it passes at the board in its current form. It's definitely not getting the vote of Supervisor Sean Elsbernd who called it another example of 'the long arm of San Francisco' attempting to solve a national problem. He added that the legislation would mean the city even has to regulate the producers of medical marijuana, though Mirkarimi has quipped that nobody's tossing out perfectly good cannabis. 'I'd like to see San Francisco government focus on locally pressing issues,' Elsbernd said, noting Muni, potholes and the budget need far more attention. 'I was elected to be a supervisor, not a congressman.' 