a dog-eared town

…take a look at this chart. Oh my, what a surprise, drug use has gone up, resulting in an increase in the price of drugs. Now I don’t really remember my college economics classes but I do believe an increase in demand tends to cause an increase in price.

More than 40 percent of Americans take at least one prescription drug and one-in-six takes at least three, the government reported Thursday.

“Americans are taking medicines that lower cholesterol and reduce the threat of heart disease, that help lift people out of debilitating depressions, and that keep diabetes in check,” Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy G. Thompson said in a statement.

Of coure if Americans would stop eating poorly and start eating correctly they wouldn’t need to be taking all those drugs. And a little exercise wouldn’t hurt either. If you read the rest of the story, it’s not exactly encouraging. Too many people turning to the pharmacuetical industry to solve questions that can be answered purely by eating and exercising. Very sad.