Why is it Okay to Take Prescription Drugs, But Using Some Types of Drugs is Illegal?

Dear reader,

Almost anytime you go to the doctor, you will sit around (for what seems like forever) waiting for a nurse or doctor to see you. Once the doctor sees you and decides what is wrong, he scribbles something (your prescription) on a small piece of paper, and hands it to your mother or father. Then you will go and fill your prescription. If you are given prescription drugs, then a doctor has recommended that you take medicine so you can get better. Prescription drugs are given by a doctor when you are sick. They are medicines that are designed to im-prove health, and in some cases, they actually keep us alive (like insulin for diabetics). Doctors go to school for many years to learn which drugs can cure different illnesses.

However, when a person tries to use a powerful drug like cocaine, without the knowledge from a doctor, that can be very dangerous. People who are not doctors often do not understand how dangerous and addictive certain drugs are. That is why our government makes it illegal for certain drugs to be bought without a prescription from a doctor. Doctors give prescription for drugs because they think it will help a person. But when a person uses a powerful drug without a prescription, it often is harmful, and the person often becomes addicted to the drug. Prescription drugs (if taken properly) often help people to get wellsooner, while illegal drugs cause a person to get sick and sometimes even die.

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