Those Killer Prescription Drugs

If you can believe the Ohio Department of Health, and I have no particular reason not to, drug overdoses are killing more Ohioans than traffic accidents. This does not come as a shock to those of us who watch an occasional TV show.
According to the report, that old standby heroin still plays a big role in hurrying people along to the boneyard. The sharp increase, however, is the work of prescription pain killers. I imagine the pharmaceutical companies will rush to say the drugs are effective because while lying six feet beneath the dirt a person doesn't feel much pain.
Viewers of Bones or House or reruns of Boston Legal knew this was coming. The commercials touting prescription drugs have been getting more ominous of late. In the past, after they had to start listing side effects, we were warned that these effects might include nausea, difficulty in breathing or an erection lasting more than four hours. There are those among us who do not feel the latter is anything to be concerned about.
Times have changed, though. Now, after mentioning all the virtues of a drug, some of these commercials go on to say, "Side effects may include death . . ." After hearing that, there doesn't seem much reason to listen further. Anyone who does will hear a lengthy list of nasty possibilities and then on at least one of these come-ons there is a final warning of "sudden death."
And yet people take this stuff.
It seems to me that the bureaucrats who regulate these products might draw the line at approving any of them mentioning death as a possibility. They might just as well announce that Russian Roulette is OK if your doctor says to give it a try.
My advice, not that anyone asked for it or will be listening, is to remember before popping a pain killer into your mouth that it just might kill more than your pain. Just ask the Ohio Department of Health.


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