Why do they teach about illegal drugs at school when evidence suggests more people die from prescribed drugs?

Question

The cost to the health care is astronomical compared to the money spent on re-habilitation? We have only got to look back over the last 50 years to see what damage prescribed drugs can do to people.

Answer 1

You're absolutely right! In one sense, I believe you're absolutely right. Nearly 30,000 people died because of "medical intervention" or medical errors in 1999 in the UK*, and a good portion of that was mis-prescribed (or mis-administered) drugs. That's a "high cost".

However, rehab is also very expensive. According to some statistics**, fewer than 5% can drink less or become drug free on their own. That's a lot of people undergoing long, frequently residential, rehab.

My vote is that we do both. We should find ways to decrease health care mistakes and ways to decrease illegal, people-destroying drug use.

Answer 2

The general idea of drug education in school is to give people a heads up on why not to start,very often the use of illegal drugs leds to the need for prescription drugs.U ever met an old chemical user in their 50s,believe me they need prescriptions drugs to keep them going because of the damage done to their various organs, and this includes cigarettes ok. Just realize they must care to even bother Good luck curious 2006

Answer 3

You mention deaths over a fifty year period - drug testing is so much more stringent than it used to be and a lot more methodical and very strictly controlled and licensed. In the US drug companies have a lot more control than they do in Europe and the UK.
Prescription drugs have a known level of risk when prescribed and deaths from such will occur at such a small percentage per population and given the vast number of prescriptions filled every year this is extremely small - thousandths of a percent.
Illegal drug deaths, whilst more publicised, are a much higher percentage per population and so actual numbers against users may appear lower but the comparison needs to be taken as a percentage per 1000 people per day to get a realistic overview.
Kids need to be aware of illegal drugs but I think as much time needs to be spent teaching them about legal drugs such as alcohol and tobacco too.
Its not just the cost to the health service that these drugs have but the emotional and social costs that also have to be examined.

Answer 4

There's not a lot of money lobbying for illegal drugs. Also, the thought is if you follow the directions on the label and from your doctor that prescription drugs are harmless. There's still a "better living through chemistry" mindset among the people who set up these programs.

Answer 5

that's simplistic to tell apart drugs as felony or unlawful. there are various compounds that are obtainable via prescription, over the counter or off the shelf as risky as many unlawful drugs, and that's a moot element no be counted if felony drugs are continually safer than unlawful ones. we've synthetic drug rules dictated via the USA of a decrease back interior the 20 th century, and we've created the main powerful crime marketplace in historic past for our issues. i do no longer be attentive to the respond for effective, yet having homogeneously unworkable drug rules around the globe isn't the respond. we'd desire to continually be experimenting with distinctive regimes to evaluate the tip result on public well being and crime and investigate them actual. The data from Holland, Switzerland and California is that we'd desire to handle the problem no longer desire this is going to pass away because of the fact the data is that it will no longer devoid of replace. our flesh pressers are fuelling a grotesque drug marketplace and are failing people who take unlawful drugs via criminalising them or no longer treating it as a public well being situation (as adversarial to a offender situation).

Answer 6

doctors prescribed vallium for years before they realised it was causing problems with dependency..thalidomide was safe (unless you were pregnant)

and the drugs message at school is rediculously innefective.. just say no! im an old hippy pot smoker..and my kids arrive home from school almost every day with leaflets and pamphlets describing the different drugs, the different side effects (or Hit) and how to prepared teh said drugs for use...

schooling these days certainly prepares you for life...

Answer 7

Illegal drugs have no quality control some one can cut cocaine sneeze all over it.Have a number 2 dont wash their hands put it in dirty newspaper from the floor then deal it from their pants or nickers,then someone snorts it up their nose.Real choice

Answer 8

Where do you get your interesting statistics?

Prescription drugs are taken to alleviate an illness. They are from a known regulated source and of measureable doseage and guaranteed purity.

Illegal drugs are taken for recreation. They are from unknown, criminal sources and of dubious doseage and purity

If you die from prescription drugs - it's bad luck, because they are well tested before use.

If you die from an illegal drug - in my mind, it's stupidity - what would YOU call it?

Answer 9

Maybe because they expect pharmacists and doctors to take care of that side of things. Not saying it's right, but it may be a reason.

Answer 10

If people are determined to commit suicide by ODing, they'll do it. Has nothing to do with recreational drug usage, which usually causes accidental death.