| This isn't about the usual stupid laws. Oh, it's true | | | | Who benefits from this system? It certainly |
| that it is illegal to catch fish with your bare hands | | | | keeps doctors busy. |
| in Kansas, and that Wyoming has a law forbidding | | | | Safety? How many people do you really think |
| you from wearing a hat that obstructs a person's | | | | would die from antibiotic eye drops? How many |
| view in a theater. In South Carolina you need a | | | | would damage their eyes. Some, undoubtedly. As |
| permit to be a fortune teller, and in Kansas City, | | | | I said, things have their risks - but that includes |
| Missouri, children can't legally buy toy cap guns, | | | | discouraging treatment by making it expensive |
| but they can buy real shot guns. | | | | and time-consuming. Oh, and by the way, The |
| This article, however, is about laws that are not | | | | National Academy of Sciences Institute of |
| considered stupid by most people. This is about | | | | Medicine recently issued a report showing that |
| one particular class of laws and regulations - those | | | | avoidable medical mistakes cause more deaths in |
| that are supposedly for public safety, but are | | | | the United States each year than car accidents or |
| really intended to benefit some particular group. It | | | | AIDs or breast cancer. In fact, they are the 8th |
| sounds good to make laws that make people | | | | leading cause of death. So much for relying on the |
| safe, doesn't it? More often, though, that is just | | | | professionals to keep us safe. |
| an excuse for making money for some industry, | | | | What is the real reason behind many stupid laws |
| or for bureaucrats who like to exercise control | | | | and regulations that are supposedly in "the public |
| for its own sake. | | | | interest." They are primarily intended to benefit a |
| The idea for the article came from the eye | | | | certain group or industry. Do we really think, for |
| infection I have at the moment. It's a minor | | | | example, that there would be a public health |
| problem, and would be easily cured with antibiotic | | | | disaster if hair stylists weren't licensed? Or is it |
| eye drops. I have used them before. No side | | | | more likely that it is just a way to limit access to |
| effects, no problems. I would go buy some right | | | | the field and keep profits up? |
| now if I could. Unfortunately, stupid laws prevent | | | | By the way, we may laugh at the laws requiring |
| buying such eye drops without a prescription | | | | licensing of fortune tellers, but I can assure you |
| from a doctor. | | | | that before we were so brainwashed, people |
| But those laws are to keep us safe, some of you | | | | would have laughed at the idea of laws requiring |
| will say. Really? It sounds reasonable, but let's look | | | | licensing of hair stylists. I know a house cleaner |
| at the matter more closely. Here I am with an | | | | who thinks there should be a law licensing all |
| eye infection that could be easily cured with a $5 | | | | house cleaners. Why? "Public good" or "safety" will |
| medicine. The laws, however, have made it so I | | | | be the excuse. The real point is that he is tired of |
| have to make a doctors appointment and get a | | | | the cheap cleaners undercutting his price. Licensing |
| prescription. Now it is not only 16 times as | | | | would limit access so the "professional" cleaners |
| expensive, but I don't have time. We are leaving | | | | could keep rates higher. |
| for South America in a few days. | | | | Now, why do we have a law to stop those crazy |
| The result? I don't treat it. Is that safer? Before | | | | unprofessional hair cutters from causing perhaps |
| you say this is a unique case, think about how | | | | two hair styling fatalities annually, while we allow |
| many people hesitate to spend a day off work | | | | sugar to be sold freely? As one of the primary |
| and $80 to see a doctor to get that $5 medicine. | | | | contributors to diabetes, sugar probably causes |
| There are millions here without insurance. So here | | | | tens of thousands of deaths. But then there is |
| is a law that is supposed to make us safer, but | | | | nobody with a financial interest in outlawing sugar |
| results in leaving an infection untreated (or at least | | | | (or they don't have the lobbying power yet). On |
| results in making the treatment 16 times as | | | | the other hand, plenty of industries make money |
| expensive). | | | | from laws that limit access and keep prices up, |
| My solution? Wednesday, when I am out of the | | | | and they are good at lobbying for laws that |
| "land of the free" and in Ecuador, I will be free to | | | | "make us safe." |
| buy the drops from a pharmacist. Oh, they have | | | | We can drink, smoke, sit on the couch for hours, |
| their stupid laws there too (every country does), | | | | marry whoever we want and do many other |
| but fortunately not so many of these kinds of | | | | things that are demonstrably more dangerous |
| regulations. By the way, to my knowledge, there | | | | than most of the things these laws "protect" us |
| is not a huge problem with people over-dosing on | | | | from. Why not let people be informed of the risks |
| eye drops there. | | | | and make up their own minds? Because it's bad |
| That brings me to the point about safety. Things | | | | for business. That's why we have stupid laws that |
| have there risks, and pharmacists can explain | | | | are supposed to be good for us, but are really |
| them to us, right? Why do we have laws that | | | | meant as a way to boost profits and power for |
| require doctors to be involved? Follow the money. | | | | some special interest group or industry. |