All these recent posts about the various meds and their functions and disfunctions has kind of sensitized me to the issue so today, while leafing through the morning paper on my way to the funnies, I happened to note and notice an article about an ongoing international class action law suit against Perdue Pharma. They are apparently already paying out BIG BUCKS in the US in connection with two drugs they created and distributed, Oxycontin, and Oxycodone. The defined difference between the two is the codone is a slower/longer timed release. These are not muscle relaxers, they are pain killers.
And, apparently, the BIG LIE that accompanied their introduction was that they were not addictive!! I noted above that locally there were several drugs that had suffered severe local over use and abuse. OXY, both versions, along with something called Fentanyl, are high ticket items on the provincial underground, (think illegal) drug trade circuit and the various gangs that deal in them don't think twice about getting into gun battles with their competitors. Not sure about the going rate here but, on the street, one tab, tablet can earn the dealer more apiece than selling weed or other chemicals.
The sickest point about all this is that the Pharma in question systemically and methodically engaged in a series of programs to encourage the dispensing and prescription of both, while deliberately suppressing any negative information or adverse reactions that had occurred in certain groups of users.
The takeaway from this, for me personally, was that I need and will continue to need to be extremely aware of what is in the meds and scripts that the doctor's provide me, as well as the interactions and side effects and the degree of addiction that they may induce, not necessarily due to over consumption, but simply due to prolonged use over time. The local pharmacies are required to include Drug MSDS sheets for the prescriptions that they fill, particularly if it is a new one, and the pharmacists actually have to have a chat with you when you go on a new drug or script to make sure you are completely read in on what the drug does, how often to take it, the possible side effects and what to do if things go wrong.
Given the option, since this thread more or less started as an ongoing saga about Booze, I think I will stay with LIQUOR! Candy is dandy; (Gotta love those Ju-Jubes) but liquor is quicker.
Nick
