Blog 7: F.D.A. Urging a Tighter Rein on Painkillers

Summary

In this article it discusses the use of painkillers, and how the Food and Drug Administration is encouraging there to be a tighter enforcement on how one can receive them.  The F.D.A is recommending that there be a tighter control on how doctors prescribe the most commonly used narcotic painkillers. They expect this change to take place sometime next year. This move will represent a major policy shift. It follows a long period of debate in which people discuss whether or not the widely abused drugs that contain narcotic hydrocodone should be controlled just as tight as more powerful painkillers such as OxyContin are. Many of the different drugs at issue contain a combination of hydrocodone and an over-the-counter painkiller like acetaminophen or aspirin are sold either as generics or under brand names like Vicodin or Lortab. Doctors usually prescribe this medication to help treat pain from injuries, arthritis, dental extractions and other problems that call for this response. This change will reduce the number of refills that patients are able to get before going back to see their doctor. Patients will then be required to take a prescription to the pharmacy, instead of having it called in from the doctor. Some people argue that it will be harder for patients that are severely sick to get their medication, however if they are truly that sick then visiting the doctor more often may help. Along with this change, will come a lot of other changes as well.  How doctors prescribe these drugs, the classification change would also impose added storage and record-keeping requirements on druggists.  The tighter restrains on painkillers will also change in some states, nurse practitioners and other health care professionals who can currently prescribe hydrocodone-containing drugs may no longer be able to do so.

Analysis

This article was very informative, about how painkillers can be dangerous, and why there should be a tighter restriction on them. I agree with the Food and Drug Administration for trying to enforce these laws. Many drugs are very powerful, and people are able to get a hold of them like it is just Tylenol. I feel that this movement will solve a lot of issues that are caused from these drugs. It will be harder for people that need them to get the prescription, however to just ignore the bad effects of this will be wrong as well. I fell that the movement is a great addition in how the overuse of painkillers can be solved.

 http://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/25/business/fda-seeks-tighter-control-on-prescriptions-for-class-of-painkillers.html?pagewanted=2&hpw

Courtney Brown

10/25/2013

2:45 pm

Blog 6:Drug Legalization

Drug legalization could increase the crime rate around the U.S and other countries as well. The crime rate is already high as it is, if drugs were to be legalized, more people would be free to sell them which could cause problems to those who are selling other drugs as well. Violence , kidnapping, murder, and robberies can all increase if drugs were to be legalized, this would put more criminals in jail. Some people who use to sell drugs illegally wouldn't be smart enough to sell drugs in a legal market which could cause them to slip up and not make their profit. Most drug dealers already have a criminal record which means it would be hard for them to have a legal job.If drugs were to be legalized, they would have more problems on criminal territories, more crime, and more gangs. As the article says, ''We need to be careful about what we dream. Legalization comes with unforeseen risks. The only way to reduce crime and violence in Latin America is to improve justice systems, fix prisons and reduce corruption. This is where the problem is, and where the solution should be'' this shows how our society can be fixed but it starts with little things such as fixing prisons and justice systems. If the government were to legalize drugs, they should have a reasonable plan behind it so that the crime rate will decrease instead of increase. Many people have been waiting for drugs to be legalized but the outcome of what could happen if they were, is unknown and could be one of the worse mistakes ever made.
http://www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate/2012/05/30/should-latin-america-end-the-war-on-drugs/drug-legalization-could-create-more-crime

Blog#4-Mexican Army Cracks Down on Drug-related Violence

The war on drugs is an international and domestic social problem. According to the Ed Crane with the CATO Institute, these drug wars have global impacts on our culture with enormous civil liberties abuse in all countries, police corruption, and it has created a criminal subculture that lures young people into the opportunity to make quick cash (“Ending the”).

In the Reuters.com article, “Mexico deploys troops to outskirts of Mexico City”: Drug-related violence has worked its way to the capital of Mexico. This has caused the deploy of 1000 soldiers, federal police, and local police to patrol the streets of Nezhaualcoyotl where two rival drug cartels are disputing. The Zetas and La Familia cartels are fighting for control of a growing market for narcotics and illegal goods according to a security expert at consultancy Risk Evaluation (“Mexico deploys”).

Mexico City has been affected the least by the drug gang’s bloody wars and clashes with security forces. These wars have contributed to about 60,000 deaths over the last six years (“Mexico deploys”). According to Reforma data, by the middle of September 550 deaths have occurred in Mexico City and the State of Mexico due to the drug war.  They have also seen an increase in the number of kidnappings in 2012. The attempts by the Mexican troops  to win this drug war is slim because of not having the fire power in a population of 1 million people.

In an interview with the former President of Mexico, Vicente Fox he stated that President Bush and Obama’s wage on the drugs war has not given sufficient attention.  A Gallup poll revealed that 50% of people in public opinion would be in favor of de-criminalization or legalizing marijuana consumption.  Sernau, in our Global Problems textbook indicated that various states have explored decriminalizing marijuana: where it could would not be allowed to be sold commercially and would not be allowed to be advertised, and possession of it would not be a crime (“Global, p.135) Fox stated that the U.S. government needs to be aware of this trend and not live in the past when prohibition were imposed over free citizens like alcohol, abortion, and cigarettes (“Ending the”). He suggests two policies for the U.S. if it is illegal then enforce the law or changing the law where it is not illegal or is not penalized. He claims that in Mexico, they do not produce drugs. The drugs are coming from Venuazalia, Bolivia, Columbia, and Equador. He says that Mexico’s policy should consider the 50,000 kids that have been killed in the last 5 years, ages 15-25 years old, the 50,000 that killed them, and the fifty thousand working with the cartels. Resulting in losing 150,000 kids that were not born criminals. These are kids that didn’t have opportunities for a different life and Mexico needs to make sure that these kids have a better offer that the offers they get from the cartels. He believes that you need to take the army off the streets because violence is not a response to violence (“Ending the”). There are  numerous violations of human rights and legal due process is not being upheld.  Fox believes that enforcing laws through a revamp police system and by electing the sheriff and police chief by the citizens with no relation to the election. This would avoid partisanship in order to end the police corruption. If a kid is earning a $1000 a month from criminals, then we must meet match offer ,offer a nice job, or provide scholarships to go to the best Universities (“Ending the”). He shared a concept that I thought was quite interesting, “We must match revolutionary ideas with criminal ideas.” This war on drugs is costing the U.S. $50 billion dollars (“Ending the”). Fox states that the U.S. must decide whether to legalize drugs or enforce the law and control cargos from crossing the border.

Gram, Dave. "Mexico deploys troops to outskirts of Mexico City." news.yahoo.com. Ed. Vicki Allen. N.p., 20 Sept. 2012. Web. 20 Sept. 2012. <http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/09/20/us-mexico-drugs-idUSBRE88J10O20120920>.

Fox, Vicente. “Ending the Drug War.” N.d., 20 Sept. 2012. Web. 

Sernau, Scott. Globl Problems. 3rd ed. New Jersey: Pearson Education, 2012. 135. Print.

Ending the War on Drugs. CATO Institute, 15 Nov. 2011. Web. 20 Sept. 2012. <http://www.cato.org/drugconference/program.html>.