by KYW's Dr. Brian McDonough
There is some research I like, some I think is worthless, and some I am not so sure about. Here is one I am not so sure about -- think about it, it's a tough one.
A pharmaceutical company is studying the idea of a painkiller that can be smoked. Alexza Pharmaceuticals is studying drugs that can be "smoked" -- and, like nicotine in cigarettes, pass through the lungs and into the bloodstream almost instantly.
It is a great concept because it could get a painkiller into a person’s system fast, but my concern is that in the wrong hands it could be abused. In fact, that it can be smoked might cause some to have a greater interest.
Like I said -- it excites me that people with migraines or other sources of severe pain might someday have a quick answer, but the potential for abuse needs to be considered.
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