Painkiller Pandemic

For those of us old enough to remember, there was a big campaign back in the 1980s called “Just Say No.”  It was part of the countrywide War on Drugs campaign, and as prime advocates like Nancy Reagan can attest, the effects bore fruit.  Marijuana use among high school students, for example, dropped from a high of 50 percent in 1978 to 12 percent by 1991.

Today, a similar war needs to be waged:  The War on Prescription Drugs.

This site is devoted to helping people achieve optimal health all-naturally, as prescription drugs are riddled with side effects and mind-altering chemicals.  This site is meant to help people avoid what we’ve sadly reached, and what we’ve reached is critical mass as the destructive use of prescription drugs rivals if not surpasses the use and abuse of illegal drugs.

The prescription drug pandemic derives from their wide availability.  In fact, the term “prescription” is somewhat gratuitous, as painkillers like oxycodone and morphine are just a few keystrokes mouse clicks away – no need for a doctor’s script.

Once these highly addictive pills and injections arrive at homes in plainly marked boxes and packages, abusers – many of them children – feed their addictions; only this feeding is never satiated, never satisfied.

The pandemic is particularly virulent in the heartland of America.  In Kentucky, for example, nearly 500 people were killed last year after abusing painkillers.  And today, according to the Drug Enforcement Agency, seven million people are paralyzed by their painkiller addictions in the U.S. alone.  To give you an idea of how big a number that is, seven million outweighs the number of people with illicit drug addictions like cocaine, heroin and ecstasy combined!!

While there’s been no official declaration of the War on Prescription drugs – as defenders continue to say that “responsible use” of them are fine – the DEA is looking into the matter.  And it appears that Florida is a prime painkiller producer, as a Kentucky officer told NBC News that the Sunshine state is becoming known as the “promised land” for painkillers.

The only way this war can be effectively waged is through the media.  Just as the 1980s War on Drugs campaign was waged through politicians’ and their wives stumping, sitcoms and dramas dedicating multiple episodes to drug abuse, and dozens of documentaries illustrating the pervasive problem through eyewitness testimony, the same tactics need to be taken today with prescription drugs.  And with the advent of the internet and other increases in communication since the 1980s, there’s no question that this war can be waged in an even more efficient and widespread fashion than the 1980s version.

We also need to stop legitimizing their use.  I know that prescription drugs will never be expunged from existence, but we need to stop looking toward prescription drugs as plan A, B and C for treatment.  Natural supplementation should always be plan A; prescription drugs should be our last line of defense.

You can wage your own personal War on Prescription drugs by devoting your life to natural health today and not looking back.  But it’s about time the media and our public representatives shine the light on this health issue, before they claim more lives.

Sources
msnbc.msn.com
en.wikipedia.org