Blog Five Assignment

Prescription Drugs in our Society

                One of the greatest problems facing our society today is the growing opioid epidemic. Though it does not receive much attention in the media, it’s devastating effects have only increased over time with the popularity of these drugs. Vox.com recently released an article entitled “Another Shocking Statistic Aboutthe Opioid Epidemic” by German Lopez, in which the article points out that in the U.S. alone opioids “kill more people than guns or car accidents, even HIV at its peak killed less people, and between 1999 to 2015, opioids have killed more people than the population in Atlanta”. Mr. Lopez mentions the long-term and short-term effects that these drugs have on our citizens and how multiple family generations suffer from it, as grandparents are left with the sadness of losing a child and charged with the burden of having to care for their grandchildren.  

                According to the Mayo Clinic, “nearly 70 percent of Americans are on at least one prescription drug, more than half take two, and 20 percent are taking five or more drugs”. What does this mean for the pharmaceutical companies? It means about $300 billion dollars annually for the global pharmaceutical market. No wonder these companies go to great lengths to advertise their products and give doctors who prescribe their products “gifts”. Although the doctors who receive payments argue that this does not affect the way they prescribe medication to their patients, NPR found that “doctors who receive more than $5,000 from companies in 2014 typically had the highest brand-name prescribing percentages”. Even worse is that these doctors and companies are not held liable for the deaths related to their products since the side effects of these drugs are available for the patient to research but often times are not disclosed by the prescribing doctor. Studies also show that states would benefit greatly by expanding their drug treatment programs as orphaned children cause a strain on the state’s child services. This is something that cannot be ignored any longer by our national government, laws must be put in place to make people more accountable for the outbreak of this addiction and try and invest in addiction programs that would save the government millions in the long term.

Blog Four Assignment

When you turn on the daily news, it is very probable that you will hear a report or update on the issue of transgender bathrooms in the United States. This debate has only recently gained attention as a result of the LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender) community demanding equal marital rights. On February 24, 2017 Media Matters released an interview by CNN on their blog about Gavin Grimm explaining "Why 'States Rights' Argument Against Trans-inclusive Nondiscrimination Protections Hurt Students Like Him" and why he brought forth his lawsuit to the Supreme Court.

Let me start by saying, I do not hate anyone for their sexual orientation nor do I believe that they should ever have to hide who they are. But people are going overboard by pandering to 0.6 percent of the population. Mr.Grimm argues that transgenders should have restrooms offered for them anywhere that male and female restrooms are. Due to his personal experience at school, where he was banned from using the men's restroom because it made another student uncomfortable, he says that a unisex restroom that he was allowed to use was not good enough. I'm sorry, but I think that you getting your own restroom is fair to me. He is most likely the only person who would use that facility in the whole school. What's next? People who identify as animals and not humans (Otherkin) and therefor insist on their own bathroom as well? I just think that these people feel entirely too entitled, and there are far greater problems that need to be addressed first.

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