Government can’t police drug abuse

Re “Teens try cough medicine for a high,” Dec. 5

I am a physician who cares for hundreds of patients who have severe and chronic cough. The American College of Chest Physicians recently issued clinical practice guidelines indicating that most over-the-counter medications don’t work. However, dextromethorphan is one of the few medicines that, in fact, do work to suppress cough, in the appropriate doses. Now it seems that the government is seeking to regulate the distribution of dextromethorphan because of thrill-seeking, overdosing teens. Didn’t it also try, unsuccessfully, to restrict the distribution of pseudoephedrine as a result of methamphetamine abuse?

The rights of free access of a majority of people are limited by the abuse of a few irresponsible people. Why restrict access to beneficial drugs at pharmacies when motivated drug abusers can easily obtain drugs over the Internet or from illicit labs? When is the government going to learn that it cannot police drug abuse when it is a symptom of a sick society? And why are responsible citizens penalized for the actions of a pathetic few?

BRIAN M. LEVINE MD

Laguna Hills