February 25, 2004

PASS THE SOMA (via mc):

Europe Ends Soft Stance On Hard Prescription Drugs (CHARLES FLEMING and ANNE-MICHELE MORICE, 2/25/04, THE WALL STREET JOURNAL

One of every four French women regularly downs a prescription pill to calm her nerves or lift her spirits. The average Belgian consumes seven times as many sedatives as the typical American. And the Irish are world champions of antianxiety medicines.

Because of a combination of low-price drugs and accommodating doctors, Western Europeans take more tranquilizers and antidepressants than practically anyone else in the world, according to the International Narcotics Control Board, an agency financed by the United Nations. Now some cash-strapped governments are trying to break pill poppers of the expensive habit.


Note that their concern is not the need of their people to anesthetize themselves, but the cost.

Posted by Orrin Judd at February 25, 2004 10:58 AM
Comments

Well, that explains a lot.

Posted by: Sandy P. at February 25, 2004 12:28 PM

Raise the prices. Economics at work.

Posted by: Sandy P. at February 25, 2004 12:31 PM

What prices? The government pays for it.

Posted by: Timothy at February 25, 2004 2:42 PM

That's right. Raise the prices and make them pay out of pocket.

Posted by: Sandy P. at February 25, 2004 2:49 PM

"And the Irish are world champions of antianxiety medicines."
Particularly those derived from fermented malt ;-)

Posted by: ralph phelan at February 25, 2004 7:51 PM

We don't know that they NEED to anesthetize themselves; We only know that they like free mood-altering drugs. I suspect that the same could occur in America. Look at the explosion in prescriptions for Ritalin.

Posted by: Michael Herdegen at February 25, 2004 11:18 PM

Michael:

Yesm but that is an insidious case of adults perpetrating control over the least powerful members of society. In Europe you've adults who do this to themselves to get through their dreary lives.

Posted by: oj at February 25, 2004 11:24 PM

we pop pills, you watch gameshows. what's the difference?

Posted by: Brit at February 26, 2004 4:24 AM

You don't have tvs?

Posted by: oj at February 26, 2004 8:18 AM

not american networks.

Posted by: Brit at February 26, 2004 8:28 AM

But tv, right?

Posted by: oj at February 26, 2004 8:40 AM

Not really. I've seen what you call 'tv' in the US. That stuff rots your brain quicker than any mother's little helper.

Posted by: Brit at February 26, 2004 8:46 AM
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