[Zon]

John Stossel made a very powerful point on one of his specials. I don't think I can describe it with near the impact that Stossel did, but here goes anyways...

The FDA held a highly effective life-saving drug off the market despite it being successful used in several European countries. Some kind of bureaucratic red-tape/snafu kept the drug from being available in United States.

Stossel continues, last year seven thousand peopled died from xxxxx. Doesn't that mean that the FDA killed seven thousand Americans last year?

[HiTech RedNeck]

I think the situation of "controversial" drugs like this (or for that matter most so called "recreational" drugs and treatments that are now banned) would be better handled to put them in a special category where they are not banned any more, BUT any prescriber has to have special insurance to cover enhanced liability, and clearly understandable warnings about known and suspected dangers and alternatives have to first be given and clearly agreed by the patient or his legal guardian. There is, however, a point to which even this should not go (such as suicide poisons or so called "sex change" mutilations).