250% :o

I found a very interesting article in The Texas Tribune.  The article “Accidental Overdoses Increase by 250% in Texas” caught my attention because it talks about how legal prescription drugs when they are not being used correctly can cause accidents and how this numbers have been increasing over the years. The Drug Policy Alliance research shows that both in Texas and nationally, legal prescription drugs like oxycodone, hydrocodone and Xanax contributed to more overdose deaths than illicit drugs, and this surprised me even more.  Lawmakers in Texas are trying to pass laws to prevent this number from going even higher.  One of the bills allows for regulation and investigation of clinics and, starting in September of this year, required them to be state certified. I totally agree with this bill because this is the only way they can control this problem.  Having uncontrolled drug users will cause more accidents. Another proposed bill is to give the citizens the access of more information about naloxone, a a prescription drug made to reverse the effects of overdose from drugs like heroin, OxyContin, Vicodin and other opiates. I think this is a great idea because many users of these drugs can really benefit from naloxone. Another proposed bill is the Good Samaritan law.  This proposed law allows people to call the authorities when somebody has overdosed without fear of getting accused of being drug users themselves.  This is a very good idea because a lot of people are afraid to call the police or simply because a lot of people don’ know what to do when things get out of control. Many citizens do not know the risks of overdose prescription drugs. I think it is very important for the government to be able to control and inform citizens about the risks of using these medications.

Texan Blog "Bring books not guns"

I agree with the post "Bring books not guns" that legally allowing people to carry guns on college and university campus is not correct or a safe way to avoid future problems with emergencies that may occur.  I believe that calling for guns in a campus will follow to more violence, more misunderstandings, and more confusion.  As Adam writes, having many guns in campus can also lead to confusion and possibly even more tragedies since guns are dangerous weapons that can cause harm that cannot be reversed.  Analyzing the way people acted in a situation like the one in The University of Texas is an excellent way to see the problem.  Some people argue that if people were allowed to carry guns someone could have shot the shooter before he caused any harm.  I believe that the opposite would actually happen.  If any person could carry a gun instead of only the campus and city police officers who are trained to act in these type situations, there would be incredible confusion that would probably result in more deaths.  As we can imagine, once everyone started shooting in the confusion, how is anyone supposed to tell the difference between the good guys and the bad guys?  Also, if a good guy gets hurt or shoots someone they are not supposed to by accident, would the college or university then be responsible for the action?  It is better to only let trained officers hold and use the guns because then there would be no question of who the good guys are and also who would be responsible if the wrong people get shot.

Adam also mentions how people would not feel safe in a campus full of guns. I agree because university campuses are full of many pressures for students, faculty and staff.  If someone is upset and already has a gun with them, there would be temptation to solve a problem with that gun.  This is potential violence that could not be reversed.  Allowing anyone to carry a gun on a university campus is not a good idea.