3 published LTE's in reply to Rita Carter's article of October 2,
"PILL POWER"

Drugs on demand

Some of Rita Carter's arguments about why prescription drugs should be
available over the counter are in fact arguments for their restriction
(2 October, p 52). She says that doctors caused the benzodiazepine
addiction problem. But in fact it was doctors who first recognised the
addictive nature of benzodiazepines and took steps to restrict their
use to prevent the problem getting any worse.

One has only to look at the phenomenal cost, financial and otherwise,
of easy access to tobacco and alcohol, and the reasons for
restrictions of lifestyle drugs become obvious.

All drugs, herbs, tonics and unguents have side effects that can range
from mild to deadly, By having their distribution restricted and
monitored, profiles of side effects can be built up very quickly.

ROB COLEBROOK
Sheringham, Norfolk
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Having implied that there is no distinction between medicinal and
lifestyle drugs, Carter says: "There is no compelling reason why drugs
such as Viagra and Prozac should not be sold over the counter. . ."

Well, for one, there's thalidomide, a "lifestyle drug" sold over the
counter in Germany from 1957 until being withdrawn in 1961.

M. BROWN
Northwood, Middlesex
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In the end, it is the person taking a drug who is the final authority
on its use. The reason people need the freedom to buy and consume any
drug they choose is that it is the only way individuals can become
responsible for their own drug use.

As a pharmacist, 1 have seen many human robots come into the pharmacy,
willing to put just about anything into their body if some
state-licensed doctor says it is okay to do so. We may begin to deal
with our drugs problem when the law finally realises that each person
is responsible for the drugs he or she chooses to take.

if a consumer is uncomfortable with taking a drug because of lack of
knowledge, then that person should not take that drug. That person
should get information from a reliable source, such as a doctor or
pharmacist, but the final decision to take a drug has to be the
decision of the person taking it.

TOM BARRUS
4liberty@netscape.net