List Archives

Sun, 09 Jun 2002 19:30:09 +0000

>From: "Cotton, Chris (SAAS)" <cotton.chris@saambulance.com.au>
>Reply-To: trauma-list@trauma.org
>To: "'trauma-list@trauma.org'" <trauma-list@trauma.org>
>Subject: Drug (ab)use in Medicine?
>Date: Sun, 9 Jun 2002 16:11:07 +0930
>
>......... I turn the lights off, light some incense, stoke my pipe and I'm
>taken on a musical journey for an hour. Hey - it works for me.............
>
>Chris - just what do you put in that pipe?   :)
>
>John
>
>Dr John L Holmes
>Director Emergency Medicine
>Mater Hospitals, Brisbane, Australia
>
>
>Hmmmm, i could give the boring answer, or one that might stimulate some
>discussion, and perhaps even debate. I do this not necessarily as an
>advocate of what follows, but in the interest of seeing how other trauma
>players view the topic. We can be lame and ignore it, or we can look at it
>and discuss it.
>
>Hypothetically, suppose i said it was marijuana that i put in the pipe; and
>that i did it because i found it stimulating to my musical ear, it 
>increased
>my clarity of thought and i enjoyed the sensation of being mildly stoned
>OCCASIONALLY? Would one cite studies that categorically denied that this
>might be a desireable side effect in some people?
>
>Would people start immediately citing references to studies that showed the
>deleterious effects of the drug? Would they then also do the same for PDI
>inhibitors like caffeine, or other epidemiological studies that showed the
>effects of alcohol and tobacco and their impacts on society?
>
>Would one then dare ask how many EMS workers use marijuana (or other drugs)
>occasionally, and how many of them may infact have spent longer in the job
>because they employed a behaviour that helped them take time out from their
>jobs occasionally and gave them "stress relief" perhaps. Their equivalent 
>of
>the Theatre, gardening or a concert perhaps?
>
>Remember that this is only hypothetical, so please don't shoot the 
>messenger
>for asking legitimate questions and bringing up discussion that examines
>drug use by EMS workers. I know a lot of people in the EMS industry who do
>use different drugs, both legitimate and illicit occasionally. 
>Understanding
>what they use and a having a responsible attitude to their use, in their
>eyes does not necessarily correlate as an issue for most of them.
>
>Regards,
>Chris Cotton
>Intensive Care Paramedic.
>
>
>--
>trauma-list : TRAUMA.ORG
>To change your settings or unsubscribe visit:
>http://www.trauma.org/traumalist.html

Never seen anybody injured while fighting with a man on marijuana, or anyone 
killed by a man driving his car while 'stoned'. Seen thousands of people 
injured or killed because of alcohol. Lets get that into perspective!!

Andy. (Not a user!) Casualty Nurse.

_________________________________________________________________
MSN Photos is the easiest way to share and print your photos: 
http://photos.msn.com/support/worldwide.aspx

List Archives

For your convenience, find the Trauma List Archive Below

Drug (ab)use in Medicine?