Provided by HEALTHBLOG
http://www.riograndesun.com/articles/2011/12/03/opinion/editorials/doc4ed7a18ae37c7886620621.txt
http://www.grandforksherald.com/event/article/id/222929/group/homepage/
The writer has notice a difference is recent months of the words used to report deaths by drugs. A year ago, it was not unusual to see a death by drug reported as “accidental”. Now I am seeing that the reports of a person dying from drugs is just stated as a “drug overdose”… of course, there is no follow up reporting… if.. when the final determination as to the underlying reason for the drug overdose.
In the first article, the Medical Investigator in New Mexico is declining/refusing to release the “cause of death” for the entire year of 2010. Could this be because the majority of the deaths were actually a suicide? Reporting deaths as “drug overdose” as opposed to suicide by drug overdose would sure remove some of the fuel for the need for higher funding of the war on drugs.
The second article, reports that a woman facing going to court this week to face two felony charges.. was found and “..has reportedly died of a drug overdose…” The media seems to have a problem using the word suicide in the same sentence with “drug overdose”.
Can you imagine that a person that died from a self inflicted gunshot… using the terminology they use to report a drug overdose “… person was found lying on the floor … apparently death resulted from exsanguination from a small circular hole in the person’s temple, caused by a yet to be determined source …”
HEY FOLKS… the vast majority of people abuse some substances have some underlying/untreated mental health issues.. or they are chronic pain patients that cannot get adequate treatment.. these people tend to suffer from depression and those with depression tend to have suicidal moments.. and some take irreversible actions during those moments. Until our society decides to do something to help these people… the bodies will keep stacking up.
Steve has been a licensed Pharmacist for four decades and counting.
The viewpoint expressed in this article is the opinion of the author and is not necessarily the viewpoint of the owners or employees at Healthcare Staffing Innovations, LLC.
RECOMMEND THIS ARTICLE
You must be logged in
to recommend articles
| 
