The United States Attorney General could soon have the power to look in your medicine cabinet and prosecute you (along with your doctor) if he doesn't like what he sees. The Justice Department has already chipped away at more than 20 years of privacy standards by arresting AIDS and cancer patients who use medical mar1juana. Act today to make sure you're not next. It's not as far-fetched as it sounds. In early October, the U.S. House of Representatives passed legislation (H.R. 3015) to fund databases to track what prescription drugs Americans are taking. This information would then be shared among states, as well as with federal, state and local law enforcement agencies -- all without your knowledge or consent. If this law is enacted, the government will have all it needs to snoop into your personal medical records. Send a free email today to ask your senators to stop this bill. H.R. 3015 is also a threat to your right to receive medical care. Federal law enforcement agencies routinely second-guess the medical decisions of doctors and patients. Because of overzealous prosecutors who believe it's wrong to take a prescription drug every day, hundreds of doctors have been prosecuted in recent years for prescribing "too much" pain medication -- even if their patients need to take the drugs every day to reduce their suffering. As a result, many medical organizations are encouraging doctors to limit their prescription of pain medicines. The American Association of Physicians and Surgeons, for example, is advising its members not to prescribe any opiate-based drugs for pain relief. In many areas of the country, patients in intense pain cannot get the relief they need. This undertreatment of pain has become a national problem. Unless you take action, you may soon find it hard to get prescription pain killers when you or a loved one are injured or become chronically ill. Fortunately, the U.S. Senate has yet to consider the legislation. We need you to fax your senators today and tell them to oppose H.R. 3015!
If we dealt with drug use and abuse in this country with a system other than prohibition, I would applaud this move as a way to help detect and treat drug addicts and abusers. But as long as prohibition rules, this is going to be nothing more than another way that law enforcement can pry into parts of our lives that should be private.
Is that like janitor in a drum? Can he at least tell me when my Tinactin goes out of date while he's in there?
