Everyone known that Heroin is a dangerous drug. We are accustomed to reading about users dieing from an overdose, but it is the sort of thing that can only be obtained by going to a drug pusher - and it certainly 'isnt something to be found in the average family home.
Unfortunately, there is a common drug that is probably represented in every medicine chest in every Australian home that is just as dangerous, and statistics show that it poisons eight thousand citizens a year - at a rate of one hundred and fifty a week. It could be termed " The Smiling Assassin " because it's something we buy at the supermarket - so how could something openly on the shelves at Coles and Woolworths be capable of killing ?
Like most " silent killers ", the danger lurks in the way we use the product. When taken occasionally and in small quantities it is harmless - and in fact it delivers relief from headaches and the usual litany of aches and pains. Problems start to multiply with overuse - and people suffering from things like migraine and arthritis can quickly slip into the habit of " popping a pill " to try and get sustainable relief.
The product that is ringing alarm bells in the medical fraternity - is Paracetamol. In particular, the " modified release " variety that claims to extend pain relief over a longer period of time. If this is taken too frequently it causes a concentration in the body which eventually reaches the level of an overdose - and unless an antidote is given within eight hours - critical liver failure can be the outcome.
Liver inflammation is the first sign of trouble and it is essential that this receives medical attention. It can progress to total liver failure - and unfortunately that is a particularly agonizing death. Moves are underway to restrict pack sizes sold in supermarkets and to ensure that when a large pack is sought at a pharmacy, the buyer is advised of the danger by the pharmacist.
No doubt warning labels on the product will be enhanced but the biggest danger will be to those people who suffer a pain related disease and see no other option than increased doses of pain killers to lower their suffering. Paracetamol is relatively harmless, taken in appropriate quantities. When the dosage moves out of control - it can quickly become a lethal assassin !
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