ABSTRACT
Some medications for multiple sclerosis and rheumatoid arthritis, and some cancer therapies, are very effective and very expensive – so expensive that the cost of food pales in comparison. For most people, however, acid-reducing drugs compensate for extra stomach acid caused by the effects of stress, overeating, nicotine, alcohol, and caffeine. Cholesterol-lowering drugs, on the other hand, have no immediate effects on comfort, and, in fact, can rarely even be said to change an individual's likelihood of specific disease events or life span. Antidepressants usually address function, although for people who are seriously depressed, they may promote longevity by preventing suicide. Spending on medications reduces the economic resources of communities. This works through a principle of Keynesian economics called the multiplier effect. Billions of dollars worth of drug advertisements aside, medications are not health, nor do they produce health.
