NationStates Jolt Archive

i ask that you approve my proposal on the banning of painkillers as the fate of the human race depends on it. the other use of painkillers is weaking are immune systems. in a few generations the human race will be so dependent on them that just a common cold could lead to a world wide epidemic. the banning or limitation of painkillers will stop this problem.
As can be seen with modern day drugs when someone becomes dependent on a drug it leads to an increase in crime

vote for the banning of painkillers

Kowak

It would be helpful if you posted a copy of your proposal in the forum along with your post so we could see exactly what you're trying to do, and with what language. Generally speaking, I am opposed to the idea, but I don't knoe enough about it to make a final decision.

*digs around* Here we go.

Painkillers

A resolution to restrict civil freedoms in the interest of moral decency.

Category: Moral Decency Strength: Mild Proposed by: Kowak
Description: I propose a resolution that will ban the use of painkillers as the fate of the human race depends on it. Painkillers are weakening are immune systems. In a few generations the human race will be so dependent on them that just a common cold could lead to a worldwide epidemic.
As can be seen with modern day drugs, such as cocaine, when someone becomes dependent on a drug it leads to an increase in crime.
A restriction of other the counter painkillers such as aspirin will be a major step in the right direction.

Now, do painkillers really weaken immune systems? We were under the impression that was antibiotics.

If you were to want to ban painkillers, you might want to attack it from the angle that since painkillers mask pain, it may keep people from being properly diagnosed and treated....

I would ask what your definition of painkillers is. Are you suggesting we ban aspirin and morphine?

No matter what the definition is, though, I am against the banning of substances that help people. If we are operating under the theory that someone could potentially become addicted to painkillers: Anyone can become addicted to anything.

If painkillers are used properly and only when needed under the supervision of a medical professional; there is little chance of a person becoming addicted to or dependant on painkillers.

I ask that you concider this choice wisely before approving. If taken with percaution and under strict orders, painkillers can be used appropriately for the right reasons. For an example. Take child birth. Now, who would want to go through the 4-hour, whatever, child labor without painkillers? Nobody I know of. Or take getting wisdom teeth SURGICALLY removed? Would you want to endure the 7 days of pain if painkillers were banned? Well, I sure wouldn't! Personally, I'd keep my wisdom teeth!

Um, so, if I fall on stage and break my leg again, I have to just sit there and take it? No thank you. I mean, we've got all this scientific medical stuff that people worked really hard to make so that we wouldn't have to feel really bad just 'cause we took the wrong step or some jellis dancer bumped into us accidentally on purpose, you know?

So I'm all for keeping them legal. Your own people can suffer if you want 'em to, but I'm keeping mine happy with total access to anything that'll keep 'em from screaming and whining when someone gets hurt. 'Cause I'm a totally awesome ruler, y'know?

Well, I say since people can also become addicted to:

Dieting
Food
Reading
People
Pets
Work
Writting
Painting

We should ban all of them too

(come on.... people because people are subject to addiction, does not mean you BAN the thing they become addicted to..... that's an attack on the SYMPTOM and not the problem....)

no, over use of pain killers can be bad, but sometimes there is such thing as real pain. Like migranes, sometimes you need painkillers.

Besides, should the UN be regulating peoples lives like this? no

There are people out there with real legitment pain, and by paining this, you're setting progress back, because otherwise productive people become useless because they are unable to perform the task at hand because of a pain that is ailiong them, such as now. I hurt my left hand earlier and it is hard to type because it hurts when I move some of my fingers, but because of pain killers, it makes my life easier. You have to exam the pros and cons.

Where do I begin?

You're attempting to make surgery - in ALL forms - impossible.
You are also making recovery far longer and far less successful.
You are destroying any chance of therapy working.
You are obliterating relief for injured people, possibly for years.

In short - HELL NO!

Where do I begin?

You're attempting to make surgery - in ALL forms - impossible.
You are also making recovery far longer and far less successful.
You are destroying any chance of therapy working.
You are obliterating relief for injured people, possibly for years.

In short - HELL NO!
You also forgot...

You're making basic headache/migraine relief illegal.
You're making acid relfux impossible to combat, and pretty much allowing the stomach acid to detroy the stomach lining.
You're making dental work painful, and even dangerous.

You also forgot...

You're making basic headache/migraine relief illegal.
You're making acid relfux impossible to combat, and pretty much allowing the stomach acid to detroy the stomach lining.
You're making dental work painful, and even dangerous.

I covered dental work in surgery.

Acid reflux doesn't need painkillers so much as acid reducing agents (H2 medications in particular) and antibiotics in many cases. Though it would make the surgical correction of non-bacterial ulcers beyond painful, and would endanger the patient as anesthesia is a form of "painkiller". So you couldn't knock out the patient, meaning you have to put a tube down the throat of an awake person...

This proposal is inhumane on so many levels...

Painkillers do not undermine the immune system.

Addiction does not lead to crime - addiction to illegal substances leads to crime. So as a crime prevention measure, you want to make useful but potentially addictive substances illegal? Is that like fscking for virginity, or is it just me? :rolleyes:

No, no, a thousand times no.

Perhaps maybe the person making the proposal didn't mean to say painkillers, but antibiotics, when referring to problems with the immune system? As for crime... erm... I have never seen anyone kill for a paracetamol, however much they will say they would.

Perhaps maybe the person making the proposal didn't mean to say painkillers, but antibiotics, when referring to problems with the immune system? As for crime... erm... I have never seen anyone kill for a paracetamol, however much they will say they would.

Of course anti-biotics would be just as bad.... people who have had transplants NEED them to keep from rejection...

I'm assuming the author meant antibiotics, to which i say this: antibiotics don't weaken the immune system per se, they simply cause bacteria to become better at resisting antibiotics (on the principle of survival of the fittest). Banning antibiotics doesn't attack the problem, it just replaces it with a worse one - that instead of finding it harder and harder to fight bacteria, we simply can't fight them at all.

The solution is to put more money into research on new methods of fighting bacteria (i.e. better artificial drugs, and phages, which if they can be made useful, should evolve with the bacteria to keep up as they developed resisitance), and into awareness campaigns to stop overuse of antibiotics and encourage people to finish their prescribed antibiotics courses (these are the 2 factors which most unnecessarily increase resistance).

This proposal has just been covered in a report by the Hersfold Herald, which has in turn been published in The NS Times!

The article in full may be found at the following website:

http://s6.invisionfree.com/The_NS_Times/index.php?showtopic=85

The United Federation of Hersfold
UN Columnist, The NS Times

You have my vote!

You have my vote!

*gets out a pair of pliers and looks around for Pineapple Joe-bot*

C'mere, you have a bad tooth and some hemorrhoids that need removing. And don't forget, I can't use painkillers on you... so this will hurt... Immensely

You have my vote!

That's one, anyway. :D

OOC: I see your point, and I rarely use painkillers myself, but...

IC: Official Response to Intrusive/Domestic Issue Proposals

My God, have you lost your mind? We have this thing called national sovereignty. It's like that "tolerance" crap on a national level.

This is a domestic issue. Do with your country as you will, but don't start trying to tell my citizens what they can and cannot do. That's what they elected me for.

OOC: I see your point, and I rarely use painkillers myself, but...

Can you explain his point to the rest of us?

Can you explain his point to the rest of us?

By "the rest of us" do you mean you? :)

Ah, well. Personally I think the proposal author just didn't know the appropriate terms for expressing his(?) views. My take on painkillers is this.

Painkillers will generally produce a negative long-term effect because (at least in my experience) they create in people a psychological dependence on pills. Many people (including my friends and family) get to the point where they look for an aspirin any time they get a headache. Eventually they find themselves essentially unable to deal with pain without medication. Also, dulling pain by taking medication decreases one's sensitivity to one's own body and self diagnosis becomes more difficult. Pain is important because it tells us our bodies are damaged and need repair. Would you want the biological equivalent of a fire alarm turned off just because you don't like the sound? I hope not.

Of course there are cases in which painkillers are necessary, and even were I to consider painkillers an issue the U.N. should be dealing with I would want this legislation modified to allow painkillers to be used by medical personnel in appropriate circumstances.

I would want this legislation modified to allow painkillers to be used by medical personnel in appropriate circumstances.
[OOC] So every time I get a migraine that literally blinds me, I should drive myself to the doctor to get a couple of ibuprofen? There might be an adverse effect or two from a blind driver there. Fact is, the doctor told me years ago to take ibuprofen when I need them, so I guess that makes me "medical personnel in appropriate circumstances".

Yes, there are dependence issues, and there are certainly abuse issues for some people. You valid poinst about abuse don't invalidate the use in a non-abusive manner. This proposal decides that ALL instances of painkiller use count as abuse, when in fact the actual abuse percentage is probably under 1%. It's a baby => bathwater thing, honestly. If the author had suggested that all painkillers be made prescription-only, that would be a possibly reasonable argument (though still a national issue). Banning them is just plain stupid.

[OOC] So every time I get a migraine that literally blinds me, I should drive myself to the doctor to get a couple of ibuprofen? There might be an adverse effect or two from a blind driver there. Fact is, the doctor told me years ago to take ibuprofen when I need them, so I guess that makes me "medical personnel in appropriate circumstances".

Precisely. This proposal (if modified in the way I suggested) does not define "medical personnel in appropriate circumstances", which leaves the individual nations to decide what constitutes such a person. National sovereignty would be preserved! Yay! ;)