Pubdate: Wed, 08 Apr 2009
Source: Daily Herald (Arlington Heights, IL)
Copyright: 2009 The Daily Herald Company
Contact:  http://www.dailyherald.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/107
Author: Paula Coughlan

ALL DRUGS HAVE SIDE EFFECTS

Can we assume from John Stossel's column of March 26 that he is one 
of the "adults" who freely ingests whatever he wants, feeling he's 
still somehow responsible for his actions? Taking drugs makes people 
act irresponsibly, causing accidents, harming families by depriving 
them of coherent and responsibly working adults. It is in fact an 
irresponsible act to use drugs.

His column discusses the medical use of marijuana. Since marijuana is 
no stronger or dangerous than many prescription drugs on the market, 
and helps people who are ill with cancer or glaucoma, this is not 
unreasonable. But I myself have borderline glaucoma. My eye 
professionals tried me on five different prescription eyedrops, all 
of which caused severe enough side effects that they took me off of them.

When I asked my ophthalmologist what he thought of marijuana for 
glaucoma he told me: "marijuana is another drug and there are no 
drugs without side effects. Increased heart rate and mental 
alterations are but two."

There is now a laser treatment for glaucoma that is 85 percent 
successful. Much better than a drug that would make me apathetic to life.

I once ended up in the ER because I was taking something for acid 
reflux and three nonprescription ibuprofen pills each day for 
arthritis pain. This small amount of simple drugs was causing fluid 
retention that indicated possible kidney problems. I was instructed 
by the ER doctor to stop ingesting any kind of pill because I had 
just gotten extremely lucky that I came in when I did. The lesson is 
that there are no drugs in existence that don't have side effects.

I'm disappointed in John's attitude that adults should be free to 
ingest whatever they want. We may not have found the answers yet, but 
letting people make shipwrecks out of the lives around them sure isn't it.

Paula Coughlan

Elburn
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