The pharmaceutical industry is in the same position as the NRA. Like guns, the drugs approved by the FDA are safe. But put the drugs in the wrong hands and there can be serious problems. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is increasingly warning of an epidemic. Here’s an interesting fact for you. Take people aged between 35 and 55 as a group and look at causes of death. More people are going to die because of prescription drugs than will die accidentally on the roads or as a result of guns. That’s a bit stunning, isn’t it? The body count is reaching disturbing levels with hundreds a day poisoning themselves or acting in a self-destructive way as a result of the drugs they have taken. Why, you might ask, does no one do anything about this. Well, the answer is profits. Every year, doctors, pharmacists and the manufacturers are raking in several billions in profits and governments, whether local, state or federal do not mess with that unless their backs are against the wall. One of the more obvious sources of drugs is the so called pill mills, clinics claiming to specialize in pain management, but which really only exist to write out prescriptions for anti-anxiety meds, painkillers and muscle relaxants. Many lawmakers and police chiefs understand the need to shut them down or control the number of prescriptions they issue, but the political will is not there. Even when a high-profile case like Michael Jackson hits the news media, this is treated as an unusual event – just a celebrity doing weird stuff with anesthetics to help him sleep. Except, Jackson is much closer to the everyday experience of many people around the U.S. who take cocktails of drugs for treatment or recreation. The trouble with any good drugs is, when you start taking them, you find they work. This is a psychological hook. When you feel the relief, you don’t want to lose that feeling. So you are on the way to dependence. No matter how reasonable or legitimate the reason for starting to take the drugs, you should stay in control and avoid addiction. Except, this is easier to say than do. Too many people put their faith in doctors and the drugs they prescribe. Instead of assuming you are fit and well, there’s this pressure created by marketers to think you are ill and need treatment. You should not see problems in yourself and immediately assume you should take a pill to cure it. Xanax is a wonderful anti-anxiety drug. Taken over very short periods of time, it controls anxiety and brings peace back into your life. But look at the title to this article. This is addressed to you. Use drugs safely. It does not matter whether you buy Xanax online or with a prescription through a local drugstore, follow the instructions on dosage and time. That way, you stay safe and your problems of anxiety go away. Should you ignore this warning and become dependent, the withdrawal symptoms are far worse than the original anxiety you set out to cure.