Legally Prescribed Painkillers And Guns — Do They Mix?

By James England

For the millions of Americans living in some state of dependency upon legally prescribed painkillers, a lingering question abounds as to whether taking them and then carrying a gun presents a conflict.

There is a dilemma. On one hand, we have a moral and legal obligation to be of sound mind should we be forced to use a gun for our own defense. On the other hand, for those who depend on legally prescribed painkillers in order to manage severe and chronic pain, it’s extremely hard to determine where the line is between a legal dosage and what could be considered an impaired state.

Being in an impaired state — whether by influence of alcohol, legal medication, or other — is a severe detriment to both a person’s capacity to reason and also affects the central nervous system.

Long-term dependency and use of narcotics tends to have permanent, lasting effects on the brain. This subject matter is being studied extensively by scientists in an effort to understand both how long-term painkiller use affects the brain chemistry of the individual and to find out what patients can expect.

Narcotic painkillers have been attributed to increased major depression in patients in those who have …Read the Rest

Source:: Concealed Nation