Over the Counter Drugs
© 2007 by OTCdrugtips.com - All Rights Reserved
Addicting drugs are among the greatest challenges to health, well-being, and
the sense of independence and freedom for which we all strive—and yet these
drugs are present in the everyday lives of most people. Almost every home
has alcohol or tobacco waiting to be used, and has medicine cabinets stocked
with possibly outdated but still potentially deadly drugs. Almost everyone has a
friend or loved one with an addiction-related problem. Almost everyone seems
to have a solution neatly summarized by word or phrase: medicalization,
legalization, criminalization, war-on-drugs.
For better and for worse, drug information seems to be everywhere, but what
information sources can you trust? How do you separate misinformation
(whether deliberate or born of ignorance and prejudice) from the facts? Are
prescription drugs safer than "street" drugs? Is occasional drug use really
harmful? Is cigarette smoking more addictive than heroin? Is marijuana safer
than alcohol? Are the harms caused by drug use limited to the users? Can
some people become addicted following just a few exposures? Is treatment or
counseling just for those with serious addiction problems?
These are just a few of the many questions addressed in these articles. It is an
empowering series because it provides the information and perspectives that
can help people come to their own opinions and find answers to the challenges
posed by drugs in their own lives. It should be of interest and relevance to
areas of study spanning biology, chemistry, history, health, social studies and
more. Its efforts to provide a real-world context for the information that is
clearly presented but not overly simplified should be appreciated by students,
teachers, and parents.
The articles are especially commendable in that it does not pretend to pose
easy answers or imply that all decisions can be made on the basis of simple
facts: some challenges have no immediate or simple solutions, and some
solutions will need to rely as much upon basic values as basic facts. Despite
this, the series should help to at least provide a foundation of knowledge. In
the end, it may help as much by pointing out where the solutions are not
simple, obvious, or known to work. In fact, at many points, the reader is
challenged to think for him- or herself by being asked what his or her opinion is.
A core concept of the series is to recognize that we will never have all the
facts, and many of the decisions will never be easy. Hopefully, however, armed
with information, perspective, and resources, readers will be better prepared
for taking on the challenges posed by addictive drugs in everyday life.
======================================================
the sense of independence and freedom for which we all strive—and yet these
drugs are present in the everyday lives of most people. Almost every home
has alcohol or tobacco waiting to be used, and has medicine cabinets stocked
with possibly outdated but still potentially deadly drugs. Almost everyone has a
friend or loved one with an addiction-related problem. Almost everyone seems
to have a solution neatly summarized by word or phrase: medicalization,
legalization, criminalization, war-on-drugs.
For better and for worse, drug information seems to be everywhere, but what
information sources can you trust? How do you separate misinformation
(whether deliberate or born of ignorance and prejudice) from the facts? Are
prescription drugs safer than "street" drugs? Is occasional drug use really
harmful? Is cigarette smoking more addictive than heroin? Is marijuana safer
than alcohol? Are the harms caused by drug use limited to the users? Can
some people become addicted following just a few exposures? Is treatment or
counseling just for those with serious addiction problems?
These are just a few of the many questions addressed in these articles. It is an
empowering series because it provides the information and perspectives that
can help people come to their own opinions and find answers to the challenges
posed by drugs in their own lives. It should be of interest and relevance to
areas of study spanning biology, chemistry, history, health, social studies and
more. Its efforts to provide a real-world context for the information that is
clearly presented but not overly simplified should be appreciated by students,
teachers, and parents.
The articles are especially commendable in that it does not pretend to pose
easy answers or imply that all decisions can be made on the basis of simple
facts: some challenges have no immediate or simple solutions, and some
solutions will need to rely as much upon basic values as basic facts. Despite
this, the series should help to at least provide a foundation of knowledge. In
the end, it may help as much by pointing out where the solutions are not
simple, obvious, or known to work. In fact, at many points, the reader is
challenged to think for him- or herself by being asked what his or her opinion is.
A core concept of the series is to recognize that we will never have all the
facts, and many of the decisions will never be easy. Hopefully, however, armed
with information, perspective, and resources, readers will be better prepared
for taking on the challenges posed by addictive drugs in everyday life.
======================================================
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