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FDA panel urges Vicodin and Percocet be taken off the market: a retort
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As reported on cnn.com, “A government advisory panel voted Tuesday to recommend eliminating prescription drugs that combine acetaminophen with narcotics -- such as Vicodin and Percocet -- because of their risk for overdose and for severe liver injury.”
Two of the best pain relievers available should be taken off the market because of the possible dangers associated with their misuse? Not everyone who takes either of those drugs becomes addicted and certainly not everyone overdoses. Eliminating the drugs is not an answer to solve the problems of overdose and addiction (the likely cause of liver injury) in the individual. Instead of questioning what may be happening in the interior of the individuals who become addicted to or overdose on these pills, the focus is instead on the so-called immediate exterior causes – in this case, the pills.
A panel, assembled by the Food and Drug Administration, made the decision to eliminate the pills for us, stating that it wants to “send a clear message that there's a high likelihood of overdose from prescription narcotics and acetaminophen products.” This is no news to anyone. There is, however, an underlying message in this decision: these panels and agencies are acting as parents speaking to their children and telling them what they can and cannot do with their own bodies. Does no one hear this clear message?
So reflexively do people accept the advice and orders of selected Panels, Agencies, and Departments with no reflection or consideration whatsoever (except on same source of advice!). People readily assume that decisions like these are made in our best interest. Anyone who has studied statistical methods knows very well how easily manipulable are studies and their associated statistics. If you have studied history, political science, or psychology you know how those in positions of authority use statistics and mass media as a means of control.
Does no one see the direct association both politically and financially between governmental agencies and big corporations such as drug companies? What will naturally follow a decision like this is money to the drug companies for more research on “better and safer” pain relievers - money that will eventually come out of our pockets in the form of higher prices. What about a panel of individual specialists, ones chosen by the people, to do some checks and balances on all of the studies and reports that issue from governmental agencies?
What is an even bigger danger to lives of people than the availability of drugs like Vicodin and Percocet is the loss of individuality and self-responsibility in individual. What has happened to our ability to intelligently reflect and decide for ourselves what is good and not good for us? Have we so lost the capacity to make our own decisions that we will simply allow someone else to do it for us? The more we simply accept these kinds of orders against our personal freedom, the more we will lose ourselves in the process.
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