Sir, – The recent Primetime programme about the dangers of tranquilisers which are widely prescribed and very addictive, reminded me of John Gibbons’s article, (Opinion, March 10th), in which he outlines how cigarettes were once promoted as a healthy form of relaxation and how the tobacco industry, even after the link was made between smoking and cancer, continued to raise doubts about the scientific evidence.
How long will it be before the prescribing of medication for anxiety, sleeplessness and depression, in whatever dose and for whatever length of time, is seen for what it is: of far more benefit to the pharmaceutical industry than to the patient for whom the “cure” is worse than the problem.
A good start might be dropping the expression, used whenever mental issues are discussed, “drugs have their place”. There was a time the same would have been said about smoking. – Yours, etc,