Pubdate: Sun, 16 Mar 2008
Source: Indianapolis Star (IN)
Copyright: 2008 Indianapolis Newspapers Inc.
Contact: http://www.indystar.com/help/contact/letters.html
Website: http://www.indystar.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/210
Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v08/n266/a02.html
Author: Robert Sharpe

PRESCRIPTION DRUGS POSE MORE DANGERS THAN MARIJUANA

Dan Carpenter raises two important issues in his thoughtful March 5 
column ("Drugged out on power"). Drug tests and prescription drug 
abuse are, unfortunately, interconnected. Marijuana is the only drug 
that stays in the human body long enough to make urinalysis a viable 
deterrent. School drug tests may compel marijuana smokers to switch 
to harder drugs to avoid detection. This is one of the reasons the 
American Academy of Pediatrics opposes student drug testing.

While culture warriors in the Bush administration obsess over 
non-lethal marijuana, prescription drug overdose deaths are 
skyrocketing. According to the most recent U.S. Centers for Disease 
Control figures available, the number of unintentional prescription 
drug overdose deaths in the U.S. increased from 12,186 in 1999 to 
20,950 in 2004.

Prescription drug overdose is now second only to motor-vehicle 
crashes as a cause of death from unintentional injury in the United 
States. The phrase "if it saves one life" has been used to justify 
all manner of drug war intrusions. Eliminating federally funded drug 
tests has the potential to save thousands of lives. The last thing 
our pill-popping society needs is more incentives to use prescription 
pharmaceuticals.

Robert Sharpe, MPA Policy Analyst, Common Sense for Drug Policy Washington
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