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Don’t Ignore Prescription Drug Deaths
As a specialist in addiction therapy and treatment,
I would like to comment on Angie Hargot’s insightful
article, which brings into focus the prevalence of
self-medication, the use of prescription drugs and
the sobering statistics that it represents.
[“Prescription for Death” by Angie Hargot, published
Dec. 20.]
As Howard Lerner, clinical director of South Miami
Hospital’s substance abuse treatment program,
stated, “We’ve become a medicated society. Ten years
ago, we never saw drugs marketed on TV…. The
availability is a progression of the numbers…. [And]
many more people are attracted to it.”
Lerner’s observation reveals the reality of the new
pharmaceutical high-life making its way into the
average home and reaching across the age spectrum —
from adolescents to seniors and all ages in between.
This “prescription for death” phenomenon is, at its
simplest level, a reliance on the medicinal crutch.
The stigma of pill popping is eroding and a
lackadaisical attitude to drug use in general is
escalating. The statistics are frightening
(according to the article, deaths caused by
prescription drugs were three times more prevalent
in the first half of 2007 than those caused by
illicit drugs). Society, affected through massive
medical marketing and advertising, is becoming too
tolerant of the physician’s stroke of the pen. Many
patients are “doctor shopping” in order to get
unlimited access to their favorite prescription
drug.
Hate to socialize? Take Paxil. Can’t deal with your
spouse wanting some “elbow room”? Take Klonopin. Got
romance trouble? Take Prozac. Got to meet a
deadline? Take Ritalin. Test tomorrow? Take Adderall.
We are treading on a dangerous diagnosis for society
— a pill for every ill. For young adults, the abuse
of prescription stimulants such as Ritalin and
Adderall can become psychological crossovers that
may eventually lead to death when mixed with other
illicit drugs and alcohol. According to Lerner,
“Younger people are selling [prescription drugs] on
the streets.” OxyContin is a favorite among the
teens.
The increase in prescription drug-related deaths
must not be ignored. Florida citizens need to take a
strong position on this issue and support the pilot
program that would track pain-killer prescriptions.
Misuse of the prescription drugs does pose deep
concerns not only as gateway drugs for further
substance abuse, but also as a deadly epidemic
revealed by the statistical data.
Marino E. Carbonell
South Miami
Why Don’t Those Beach People Live and Let Live?
I loved the story about the ministry on the beach.
[“Ocean’s Ministry” by Keyvan Antonio Heydari,
published Jan. 10.] I know and love Rambo and the
other homeless people here. I have been friends and
have tried to help them for several years now, and
you'd be surprised to learn what nice people most of
the homeless there are!
I disagree with the people who say they call the
police on them once a day. I'm over on Ocean Way and
74th Street all the time, and it's a beautiful area,
and I never see the homeless misbehaving at all.
I'd like to say to the people who are complaining
about the homeless — do you think you are so much
better than these people who have fallen on hard
times? Most of you are just one or two paychecks
away from being homeless yourselves. Try a little
compassion, and live and let live!
Michele S.Yuval
North Shore Beach
Add
Some Meaning, Please
Lee Molloy does an adequate job summing up the race
in a cute way [“Make Me the President 2008” by Lee
Molloy, published Jan. 10]. But it's ultimately
dribble, since it adds nothing to our understanding
of the situation. For a while I wondered if he
lifted this shtick from Maureen Dowd. His article
would have been adequate at half the length.
Ken Richings
Miami
How Fair Is That?
Commissioner Sarnoff:
Ms. Wakefield of the SunPost states the following [“Ripped:
Miami Cop Reprimanded for Talking to SunPost
Columnist” by Angie Hargot, published Jan. 17]: “It
is also outrageous that the CIP would let its mantle
of oversight be so misused by the same agency whose
chief arrogantly refuses to testify about his own
behavior in a much more serious breach of department
policy. Let’s see, the chief of police [John Timoney],
when he bothers to be in town at all, gets to drive
an expensive vehicle for free, while shooting the
finger to
Miami’s citizens and the CIP. Officer
Nunez exercises his First Amendment rights and gets
the shaft. How fair is that?”
You being one of the city of
Miami's staunchest First Amendment Rights advocates,
will you or any of your fellow commissioners answer
Ms. Wakefield's question: “How fair is that?”
Brent Cutler
Miami
Thank You, Thank You
Wow! I must say it is much more than meaningful to me that you put
the story of
my dad [Paul Silverthorne] on your cover, and in
what space you were given you did an excellent job
of capturing the elements of his talents and
contributions with the aim of your focus. [“Lost
Art” by Ben Torter, published Jan. 17.] Thank you
very much.
Andrea Silverthorne
Miami Beach
Sniff: I Love You Guys
I am so thankful for your newspaper. There are so many terrible
things going on in this part of
South Florida,
and I am sure in all the rest of the country, that
the public never finds out. This is because the
people who do all the damage to the environment and
the public are the people who run everything.
Therefore they have all the money and almost all
news outlets do not dare expose them for fear of
losing advertising. It is wonderful that I can read
your paper and get the straight information. I could
go on for pages, but I think you know how much I
appreciate your paper. I would never miss a single
edition.
Jim Tracton
North Miami
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