General Information About Drugs<br />
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Dear Dr. DQ,<br />
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If drugs are bad for people, how come some drugs are sold in the stores? <br />
Signed: Don't Understand<br />
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Dear Don't Understand,<br />
Not all drugs are bad. Stores sell many kinds of LEGAL drugs. Medicines, for example, are legal drugs made to help people stay well, get well or treat symptoms of illness. They come in two types: Prescription (Rx) and Over-The-Counter (OTC).<br />
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Even though these drugs are meant to be helpful, not following the directions and taking them the wrong way can cause BIG problems!!<br />
In fact, sometimes people have allergic reactions even when they do everything right!!<br />
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Stores also sell everyday household items that are fine when used as directed. The problem is, some people use them in ways they were never intended...sometimes with disastrous or even deadly results. Signed Dr. DQ<br />
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P.S. The other kind of drugs we need to be concerned about are the ones NOT sold in stores. These are obtained from drug dealers or "friends" and are called "Street Drugs".<br />
All of these are ILLEGAL...and also potentially dangerous.<br />