Pubdate: Thu, 14 Feb 2002 Source: Messenger-Inquirer (KY) Copyright: 2002 Messenger-Inquirer Contact: http://www.messenger-inquirer.com Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1285 Author: Sean Simone, MD PILL FOR EVERY ILL MINDSET LEADS TO PRESCRIPTION DRUG ABUSE Regarding the Nov. 13 article "Prescription drug misuse, diversion a serious problem" by Dr. Janna Pathi: Prescription drug abuse is a serious problem, but why? Dr. Pathi tries to point the blame toward the patient, but is the patient at fault? That patient by the time he or she has reached 18 years of age has seen 20,000 hours of TV drug commercials telling him or her how great they are or how great they make you feel. Drug companies spend $14 million per day convincing Americans that they need the new "miracle" drug of the month. Patients are then told by their doctors that they "need" the drug and are quickly written a prescription. From birth until death the patient is told "don't worry about your diet, lack of exercise, lack of sleep, stress etc. We have a pill that will fix you." As a last resort certain prescription drugs are needed in acute life threatening situations, but in the HMO medical system they have become first resort. Parents wonder why their teen-ager is on illegal drugs. The answer is simple. We have taught them at an early age that any negative feeling, ailment, or emotion can be fixed with drugs. If mom is on Prozac, dad is on Paxil and little brother is on Ritalin why can't Johnny smoke a little pot or worse. I realize my opinion may ruffle feathers of some in the medical and pharmaceutical community but so be it. The "War on Drugs" will be a failure and a farce as long as Americans blindly follow the drug companies "pill for every ill, potion for every emotion" mentality that pervades advertising, TV and the doctors office. Dr. Sean Simone, Owensboro - --- MAP posted-by: Jo-D