Many Americans find it difficult to rely on the Food and Drug Administration
(FDA) to protect them from harmful drugs and medications. Those
who have used pills for pain relief they believed to be safe admit
that their faith in the system intended to protect them has been
corrupted.
One woman stopped taking painkillers Vioxx, Celebrex and Aleve
due to their cardiovascular-related side effects. She stated, "Now
I just don't trust the Food and Drug Administration anymore."
While some doctors feel their patients may be "overreacting,"
psychologists who study how people evaluate risks say the widespread
anxiety, raft of lawsuits and feelings of unbroken trust are indeed
justifiable. Not to mention, the continual bad news from drug companies
and federal health officials has only fueled the fire.
Controlling the Public's Health
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What has outraged people most is that the FDA has been accused
of concealing vital information regarding previously approved
drugs. For example, it has been suggested that the FDA first
learned about the dangers associated with taking Vioxx several
years ago, long before the drug was pulled from the market.
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In addition, when people learned of the flu shortage and the
urged restrictions placed on who could be immunized, many (some
of whom had never gotten a flu shot before) clamored to get
a dose. Now, with the restrictions eased and an abundance of
doses available, no one wants the vaccine anymore.
In light of these issues, the executive director of the Harvard
Center for Risk Analysis explained, "When it means that someone
else is controlling whether or not I may be in danger, whether it's
not letting me have the flu shot or not telling me about the potential
risks of these medications, then people will react in ways that
can seem out of proportion to the actual risk."
Moreover, people tend to react more intensely if they believe they
are being harmed or put at risk by the very person or thing meant
to protect them.
Spartanburg
Herald-Journal December 28, 2004
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