I just got the following article in a newsletter on herbal healing that I get every now and then. Scared the hell out of me. I noticed all the perscription drug commercials on TV when we got to the US. It seemed strange, but I had no idea they were doing this kind of damage. Have a read.

Bruce
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In this newsletter I have chosen to reprint an article, with
permission from the author, pertaining to children and drugs - a
subject which, as a father of two teenagers, is very close to my
heart. If children are our future, then we may be in trouble! Did we
learn anything from the 60\'s? If so, was it the WRONG lesson? Are
we bringing up our children in a way that will allow them to
experience a better quality of life? Read this excellent article and
decide for yourself:

The Pushers

\"Well, now if I were the president of this land you know, I\'d declare
total war on The Pusher man I\'d cut him if he stands, and I\'d shoot
him if he\'d run Yes I\'d kill him with my Bible and my razor and my
gun.\"
From the song \"The Pusher,\" lyrics and music by Hoyt Axton

A recent article released by the Associated Press (1) examined
the soaring use of prescription drugs among children. The article
was based in part on a study conducted by Medco Health
Solutions(2), a Franklin, New-Jersey based \"pharmacy benefits
manager.\"

The study\'s findings included:

\"Spending on prescription drugs rose 16.4% to $142 billion last
year\" (This does not include spending on over-the-counter drugs.);

\"Spending on prescription drugs for those under 19 grew 28 percent
last year\";

\"Spending on prescription drugs to treat heartburn and other
gastrointestinal disorders (in children) surged 660% over five years\";

\"About 7 percent of children have asthma and 25 percent have allergies, approximately double the incidence 25 years ago\";

\"Spending on antibiotics among children increased 42 percent\"; and

\"Spending on drugs for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
increased 122 percent over the past four years.\"

Given these findings, I just have to ask some obvious questions:

If drugs are the solution for asthma and allergies, why has the incidence of these conditions doubled since MDs started using drugs to treat them?

Why has antibiotic use increased 42 percent during a time when MDs are supposed to be discouraging their misuse?

What is wrong with the public\'s concept of good nutrition that causes a 660 percent increase in heartburn and gastrointestinal drugs given to children over just five years? Are these drugs prescribed to counteract some of the milder adverse effects of drugs designed for adults that our children are taking?

Patients are now seeing advertisements for drugs, asking for the
advertised drugs and getting prescriptions for the advertised drugs. At what point does the interaction with the medical doctor become
irrelevant for those who believe that a drug is the solution to their health problem?

If drugs are really the solution, why do U.S. consumers need more of
them every year? Are we addicted?

Back when I was in high school, we were always warned to stay away
from the \"pushers.\" These were the people who sold drugs just off the school grounds. They preyed on people who had various social and
physical needs who could be convinced that the right drug could help
them.

Today, we have corporate \"pushers.\"

The scenario is essentially the same. They convince people that a pill
can relieve their pain or change their lives. The corporate pushers aren\'t concerned about health. They just want you \"feeling better.\" No wonder we have a decades-old drug problem among young people - they learned by their parents\' example.

If a pill could solve their parents\' problems, surely it could solve their
problems. Parents need to think twice before trying to address their
children\'s health needs with a bottle of pills. Someone has to let them
know that true health doesn\'t come from a pill.

Please, for the sake of the millions of children already regularly
using prescription drugs, talk to your patients about their health
and the dangers of drugs.

References:

1. Medication use soars among youths - Study: Prescription drug
use rising faster in kids than seniors.\" Associated Press
(msnbc.com/news/809817.asp).

2. MedcoHealth Solutions, formerly Merck-Medco Managed Care,
describes itself as \"the top pharmacy benefits management
company in the U.S., serving 65 million members.\" The company,
a subsidiary ofMerck & Co., assists health plans in managing drug costs by negotiating rebates with pharmaceutical companies and processing claims.

This article first appeared in DC Magazine
By Donald M. Petersen Jr., BS, HCD(hc), FICC(h)
Editor/Publisher of DC Magazine
Reprinted by permission.