When I was in America, I was struck by the number of advertisements on television from drug companies. The only drug-related advertisement in Singapore is the 'Panadol' advertisement, the one where a SCDF (I presume) worker is struck with a headache while on the way to answer a call, then he pops a Panadol extra, and poof! headache is gone and the sick got to the hospital on time.
But in America, drugs advertisements fill up a good portion of advertisement space. They have advertisements for pills for sliming, stimulating appetites, sleeping, keeping awake, allergies, depression, mood elevation, motion sickness and I even saw one for Men's Sexual Vitality!
Without laws probating the advertisement of drugs, the drug companies have set out educating the masses of the 'options available' to them. And these options are even extended to troops in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Time magazine reported that American troops, rather than being given time off to mentally recover, are routinely prescribed mood elevators to ease the trauma of war! In line, perhaps, with the American Medical Corps motto: 'conserve the fighting strength'.
Is the increasing use of drugs a facet of a modern society? Or is a human life worth more in a modern society that all measures must be taken to protect it. After all, I seriously doubt that the Taliban faces a problem of depression among their soldiers. Or are the Taliban soldiers so convinced of their purpose that nothing will cause them to falter? If only Pfizer can come up with a pill for that.
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