Opponents of gambling and online gambling have forever declared that the evils of gambling were harming the elderly. We know that to be false. Elderly people love gambling, whether it is in a land-based casino or online. Hell, who doesn’t?
I’ll tell you what is harming the elderly, particularly the many elderly folk who suffer from arthritis, and that’s drugs. I’m not talking about the crack pipe that Grandpa Joe smokes before Christmas dinner and I’m not talking about the pot o’l gramps tokes for his cataracts and for fun while in Cali. I’m talking about the perscription drugs for arthritis that are supposed to be regulated by the FDA.
Darvon and Darvocet, the brand name versions of the pain medication propoxyphene, are being withdrawn from the market in the United States. Their maker, Xanodyne Pharmaceuticals, has agreed to comply with the FDA’s request to withdraw the drugs. This is after years that these drugs have already been on the market. Since 1978, the FDA has received two requests to remove propoxyphene from the market. But, until this point, the FDA had concluded that the benefits of propoxyphene for pain relief at recommended doses outweighed the risks. Now it has come to light that even at recommended doses, propoxyphene can affect the electrical activity of the heart — increasing the risk for serious abnormal heart rhythms that can lead to serious side effects, including death. Isn’t that wonderful?
The public relies on these governing bodies to protect them, I would say that’s a fail. If they’re wrong about this, what else are they wrong about? Body scanners at airports? Can we really believe they’re safe? I’m not trying to push a fear mongering agenda, all I’m saying is that things that have traditionally been pinned as harmful to society, like gambling and online gambling are being proven otherwise, as many states continue to push for the legalization of online gambling, while many others have turned to gambling expansion to create jobs and boost the economy.
Meanwhile, other less harshly scrutinized industries are putting out products that are literally killing people, it’s just not right. Check your prescriptions.
