While driving home with a good friend this weekend from Denver, (it’s a four hour drive through beautiful mountain country), an interesting statement was made that prescription drugs probably kill more people than illicit drugs. It’s not a bad assumption at all, and with easily trackable stats already recorded it wouldn’t be hard to prove or disprove. So, when a story citing a coroner’s report in Florida regarding prescription drugs fell in my lap this afternoon, it couldn’t count as more than anything but an amusing coincidence. To the News Story and Report we go:
Thank you NY Times writer Damien Cave:
… The report’s findings track with similar studies by the federal Drug Enforcement Administration, which has found that roughly seven million Americans are abusing prescription drugs. If accurate, that would be an increase of 80 percent in six years and more than the total abusing cocaine, heroin, hallucinogens, Ecstasy and inhalants…
…An analysis of autopsies in 2007 released this week by the Florida Medical Examiners Commission found that the rate of deaths caused by prescription drugs was three times the rate of deaths caused by all illicit drugs combined…
The story also claims drug related deaths are tracked more “responsibly” in Florida, stating other states are not as active in tracking those stats. It seems to me, drug related deaths should be one of the most important numbers to individual states, and the federal government in the War on Certain Drugs.
Proving once again the all mighty dollar is more important than the people’s voice, and apparently your life.
The ACE Community Challenge Charter School in Denver, CO feels drug testing is a good way to keep its students healthy and prepared for learning, according to Principle Eloy Chavez. But since drug testing is only allowed on students who perform in extra-curricular activities, to me it all seems a little silly. Students involved in clubs and sports have been shown to be the most productive of their peers. What is even more silly, in fact is the school received a $150k dollar grant to perform the drug tests.
SAFER’s Mason Tvert was at the press conference yesterday afternoon in Denver and was quoted by local outlet 9News:
“Random student drug testing sends a message that we don’t trust kids, that we want to invade their privacy,” said Tvert. “We want to collect their urine and we want to treat them like criminals and force them to prove their innocence.”
“The largest study on random student drug testing concluded it has no effect on the prevalence and frequency of student drug use,” said Tvert. “They might go on to other hard drugs like heroine, methamphetamine, even alcohol. These are drugs that you cannot test for more than one day out. What this is - is a marijuana test.”
I agree with Mason. What people fail to understand is harder drugs are less vulnerable to a drug test. Methamphetamine is one of our biggest problems as a nation today. Only problem is some fail to believe it. Detectable for only 3-6 days, I also know as former Media Director for an Anti-Meth group, it is easily one of the simplest drugs to get addicted to and sweep under the carpet. source: http://www.erowid.org/chemicals/meth/meth_testing.shtml
I hear the toilet flushing again.
~JDR
PS- More info via YouTube on how some think you should raise your child…
Everybody is blogging now. So I figured I might as well join in on the fun. Heck, how can it hurt reform and the changes we feel need to be made. Well, I guess it really can’t. But one thing that does hurt reform is the ability for some to understand freedom of speech. And the ability for some, to act on their ideals. In the battle between ideals and thoughts, it is easier to outsource actions than it is to act on an idea, or learn more about the process of making a change with that idea. Therefore, throughout the world we have innumerable agencies and governments, and the people who make them tick, convinced that we as people will believe anything we hear. And it’s true for some of us. Well, I take that back, for most of us. We will believe any and all things that are thrown our way from a reputable agency. We will sit and read news like it is fact, and we believe every health study done, because, well it’s a health study. You name it. Fact and opinion all mixed up rolled into a little ball and tossed our way. But when the ball crosses the plate, all that happens to people most of the time, is they walk. We are afraid to take a big swing and strike out sometimes, and we are afraid to make a voice of ourselves when it might ruffle the feathers of others. Or we are just plain afraid. Which is worse? Fear or a lack of individual thought on an important topic? With marijuana reform, and the movement set behind it, almost no one who smokes or vaporizes, or eats their marijuana, can hold an excuse of non-action. More so than anything else, it is the movements’ responsibility to learn as many facts as we can about pot. It’s also important we learn the difference between the many, many lies, and half truths put out regarding marijuana. We are just now, as a combined society able to understand the positive affects marijuana has, and possibly how it may harm. We are also starting to learn how to responsibly medicate with it. The simple fact marijuana is used for medication should strike a lot more people as a wakeup call than it does. Without making and excuse for it, I say it’s the normalization of pot in society people look at. “So what if he smokes a little pot”, says someone in a discussion. “It’s just a little pot, who’s it ever hurt?” And because of those statements being made, and the relative harmlessness of marijuana there are people who just ignore the law, and get high or medicate in spite of the fact it’s still federally illegal. But does that make it right, and how are those statements hurting the cause, coming from people who already could care less if it’s illegal, until they get busted. Gone is the ability for the American Government to stand on no leg, and spout drivel they feel will keep people off the “killer drug” of marijuana. They have spent billions trying to convince what pot does to the body. In fact the ONDCP, the Office of National Drug Control Policy, has pushed pot down a little as their “second” most targeted drug, and has started a media campaign concentrating on prescription meds. Another billion dollars plus campaign I add. Come to think of it, it’s been a week or two since I’ve seen an anti-pot ad. With The Fox Network seeming to be the biggest puppet in the ONDCP’s game, the network gave millions of dollars worth of free air time to the ONDCP after they purchased a three million dollar commercial during the super bowl last year. All at the same time, pushing more harmful things like alcohol and tobacco. Our ability as a society to freely think has never been brighter. Nor are we held more accountable for those thoughts than today. We experience an electronic age where we can talk and share ideas with someone on a computer, or phone, which is right next to you, or sitting in a space station orbiting us. We can act on the ability to share those ideas, or we can choose to let others do it for us. But one thing is clear, and has been since the beginning of human thought. If you don’t say what’s on your mind, someone will make sure others suffer for it. Who do you want making up your mind?
The very perceptive and able minded American People are trying to tell their government we NEED a change of some kind in two wars right now.
One of which has lasted decades, and has cost many, many innocent Americans their lives and freedoms. Not to mention the countless dollars spent by drug programs teaching our children how to use drugs, like how to really smoke a crack pipe, and make meth. No exaggerations, and no spin. Independent studies are saying the ONDCP is responsible for teaching and getting more American Children hooked on drugs than they do to prevent it. They refuse to believe it, but will you?
I will in no way diminish what our soldiers are doing across the world in this Volume of John Doe Radio, nor ever discuss the politics of the Iraq war, ever. Not to mention I make it a pretty known fact I am a moderate Republican. They are fighting for our freedoms, just as many innocent Americans fight for ours in the war on Drugs. They are two very important, yet separate issues that need alot of discussion, and ALOT of change.
Join us for a hard hitting attack on the War on Drugs with continued Accurate Information, and news updates, along with a detailed history on Marijuana Prohibition. Let us bring you the survivors and their stories of how the system just isn’t working, and WHY it needs to change.