Pubdate: Tue, 19 Feb 2008
Source: Columbian, The (WA)
Copyright: 2008 The Columbian Publishing Co.
Contact:  http://www.columbian.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/92
Author: Sandra S. Bennett

CASUAL ATTITUDE UNSAFE

Using addictive prescription drugs illegally is the same as using 
illicit drugs. Unless someone is bent on suicide, most deaths from 
either illicit or prescription substances are "accidental."

Those who use drugs to get high do so for amusement, not with death 
or addiction in mind. However, once under the influence of these 
mind-altering substances, they often do things they probably would 
never have done otherwise. In Heath Ledger's case, he likely lost 
track of what drugs, and how much of each, he had used.

Federal law requires that manufacturers of addictive prescription 
drugs, as well as the pharmacies, hospitals and doctors who 
distribute them, be carefully tracked. We must wonder, then, which of 
these is getting wealthy by circumventing federal controls

Because these are legal drugs, society tends to think of them as 
safe, creating a casual attitude toward use.

One has only to look at the medicalization of marijuana to see how 
"legal" access has increased general use of this illicit drug, 
leading to a dramatic escalation in marijuana-related medical and 
psychiatric emergency room incidents.

The surging number of tragedies caused by abuse of easily obtained 
addictive prescription drugs is the quintessential argument against 
legalization of street drugs.

Sandra S. Bennett

La Center
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