The War On Pleasure is the root of so much grief! When will we come to our collective senses and stop persecuting people who enjoy and/or need to alter their thoughts for a while? No illegal drug causes so much damage as does the legal system that endlessly and disastrously seeks to banish them.

Why are some drugs illegal? Because they are the source of great cash income to influential organized crime. Because they bring the psychic relief and pleasure that religion promises, but cannot deliver. Because they are natural substances that cannot be patented and sold by the pharmaceutical industry.

Obviously, in view of the statistics you refer to, it is not entirely a matter of safety. If safety were a genuine issue, then legalizing and selling pure, standardized doses would be the most effective way to increase safety.

The biggest union of “pushers” in this country is the AMA. The G.P. area of the VA relies almost solely on what the FDA says is appropriate. In fact, most of the time blood pressure isn’t even taken correctly. Fact is, consistent life-style change is the best preventive medicine: exercise, diet change, attitude change, etc. After medical school doctors get most of their information from drug salesmen. They subscribe to JAMA and the New England Journal of Medicine, etc. but rarely read it. Here’s a few other statistics.

Deaths Per Year
12,000 unnecessary surgeries
7,000 medication errors in hospitals
20,000 other hospital errors
80,000 infections in hospitals
106,000 non-error, negative effects of drugs

The total is about 250,000 deaths per year from iatrogenic causes! Iatrogenic means “induced in a patient by a physician’s activity, manner, or therapy.” It is used especially when referring to the complication from a treatment.

Another analysis concluded that between 4% and 18% of consecutive patients experience negative effects in outpatient settings with

116 million extra physician visits
77 million extra prescriptions
17 million emergency department visits
8 million hospitalizations
3 million long-term admissions
199,000 additional deaths
$77 billion in extra costs

The high costs of the health care system is considered to be a deficit, but seems to be tolerated under the assumption that better health results from more expensive care.

Michael - I love it… the war on pleasure!

We’re almost of one mind but I take it a bit further. I do not believe that the gov’t has any right of sovereignty over our bodies. The silliest example of this is that suicide is illegal. Whatcha gonna do - come after me?

I firmly believe that we can do whatever we want, provided no one else gets hurt. I don’t like recreational pharmaceuticals but I support anyone’s right to take them (again, provided they’re not driving, etc). Of course we’ve already proven that we can’t handle that much responsibility, via alcohol.

But I’m pretty stubborn (on a GOOD day).

Thanks for the comment - come back often.

Alex- thanks for the stats. Great stuff.
Iatrogenic…. it’s amusing that you used that term because I just used it three hours ago when talking to my wife. We know an iatrogenic alcoholic (in spite of the fact that I had to make that term up).

The FDA is a mess, to be polite. It’s the perfect example of gov’t inefficiency and graft. Know how we got aspartame (Nutra Sweet)? The head of Monsanto, one Donald Rumsfeld, knew someone and which palms to grease. Presto - aspartame. Presto - headaches, swelling, dizziness, and all sort of yet-to-be-discovered maladies.
And it tastes horrid to boot.

Interesting observation about the price of healthcare. I’m involved in it from about three different sides and have seen countless horrors (if I haven’t lived them myself). There’s no doubt a rant coming up about having to be an amateur physician when you go to see a physician because they’re not paying attention, can’t afford to give you the time, or are FDA stooges. If you aren’t your own advocate, who will be? Those fools can kill you!

I knew a GI who thought chiropractic was a form of voodoo.
There are shrinks who don’t *believe* in certain disorders, as if it were some religious matter they were above.

Keep educating, keep reading, keep commenting.

Thanks.

There is a lot of dissatisfaction with traditional medicine. Some of it is justified, some not. People come to my office for drug screens and are found to have positive tests because they took someone’s prescription pain meds. In our McDonalds society, people want fast results. Many do not want to hear that the problem with their health is the over consumption of fast foods, sweets, too much beer, not enough exercise and the cumulative effects of a lifetime of personal abuse. Many patients do not want to be told that the pain that they are experiencing in their low back, or down their leg, will eventually improve in 95% of people, with exercise, therapy, weight loss,and prudent use of non narcotic pain meds. Some will try chiropractic, some will not. Most will not try deep water walking or water exercises.
The AMA is a mess and does not reflect the view of most physicians. The FDA is far from perfect…what are your suggestions for a replacement. Most physicians I know do not visit with pharmaceutical reps who come to our offices. most Doc’s I know are using tried and true meds and not the latest medications that have not been tried and tested over time. If most people would talk to their doctors instead of coming in with preconceived, unfounded notions, theyu might find a health care advocate who agrees with them on most issues affecting healthcare. Please send me a few patients who are interested in quality lifestyle adjustments and preventative healthcare. I spend more time explaining to patients why they don’t need antibiotics for a viral illness only to have them go to the local ER to get something prescribed. Our system does need work, yet, based on my experiences overseas, we have the best healthcare in the world. I think our best hope is for patients and doctors to work together. Take the hospitals and insurance companies out of the mix. We need to start being responsible for our own health decisions. By the way, there is no part of our healthcare system that is perfect and without sin.

30 years ago, I swore I would never take drugs for any other reason than recreational use. I didn’t want to become a “sickie” like my parents. To this day, I’m still the healthiest person I know. Avoid doctors, you’ll live longer!

Tom - well informed commentary.
I had a chiro who told me the happiest day of his life was when he stopped fighting with the Blues and went back to cash. My current HMO doesn’t like chiros.

There are at very least three sides to this debacle: patients, providers, and insurers. All three sides need to come to an agreement. I say lock them in a room til they come up with an amenable solution.

Other than that, I’m stumped. The presidential prospects (heaven help us) are blathering on about reform and nat’l healthcare. That will NOT be a solution. When was the last time the gov’t ever did something right? Besides, they’ll farm it out to their friends in the industry, who have contributed to the mess in the first place.

Also, decriminalize all substances (apropos of nothing).

Thanks for commenting.