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Painkiller overdoses.

3rd leading cause of PREVENTABLE death in the United States. Yet, people pop these like they are candy, while others take them just to get "high." What's wrong with people, when are they going to wake up? Prescription medications harm and kill more people than illegal street drugs! Yet, there are ongoing debates about whether or not to legalize marijuana. I as your Maplewood MN chiropractor, don't smoke pot, and this post is not to take a stand on that issue, but let's compare these two drug issues to put this into context.

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Marijuana VS OTHER DRUGS IN MAPLEWOOD MN

Both drugs are easily accessible, you can get either from a prescription or you can purchase either off the street from dealers or someone you know at work or school probably can get you either. Marijuana is less addictive than pain killers. I haven't researched it, but I am going to go out on a limb and say that marijuana-related deaths per year are very low, much lower than prescription medications.

So less addictive, less harmful, fewer people die per year, yet marijuana is illegal. What's the solution? Legalize marijuana?

How about better regulation of painkillers? I have heard stories from patients of how their doctors wrote them a prescription for pain killers, and it wasn't just a few days worth of the prescription drugs, but maybe weeks worth or more. Well if you have painkillers just sitting at your house, your spouse, your kids, or your kids' friends, or your friends, basically anyone can easily steal them and take them or sell them.

How about eliminating the prescription painkillers all together? No more prescribing these addictive, harmful substances. If you are in pain and you want to take this stuff, you have to be underneath direct doctor supervision to be administered this garbage. You have to be at the hospital/clinic. Why is that not an option?

Maybe the people who are dying from these painkillers are just ignorant. Nowadays there is enough information on the news or on the internet talking about the dangers of these medications. So I guess if you know the dangers, yet you are still taking them, it's kind of your own fault. It would be like someone getting diagnosed with lung cancer who smokes, there are warning labels on every pack of cigarettes, not to mention advertisements everywhere warning of the dangers of smoking.

Sure, you can take these drugs, and maybe you won't die or get harmed. You can also start smoking a pack of cigarettes every day, and maybe you will never develop cancer.

But

Is your life and health worth the gamble?