French a nation of pill-poppers

Sydney Morning Herald ^ | November 10 2003 | The Guardian

[knighthawk]

Nearly one in four French people are on tranquillisers, anti-depressants, anti-psychotics or other mood-altering prescription drugs, a new report says.

An average of 40 per cent of men and women aged over 70 in France are routinely prescribed at least one of this class of dependence-creating drug, as well as about 4 per cent of all children under nine.

One medical expert, Martine Perez, said in the newspaper Le Figaro: "The French now consume between two and four times as many tranquillisers and anti-depressants as the British, Italians and Germans."

The French are avid consumers of pills and potions of all kinds, to the extent that the Health Minister, Jean-Francois Mattei, faced with a budget overrun of €6.1 billion ($9.9 billion), this northern summer listed about 900 so-called medicines (out of a total of 4300 prescribed in France) that would no longer be reimbursed by the health service because they had "little or no recognisable medical effect".

They included such popular remedies as "bronchial lubricants" for the lungs, "hepatitic protectors" for the liver, "veinotonics" for the circulation and "choleretics" for bile. Panoplies of medicines exist here for ailments that do not appear to exist anywhere else, such as la crise de foie (liver crisis).

A dangerous dependence on mood-altering drugs is an altogether more serious problem. The question troubling some health professionals is whether it is the unique French attitude towards illness, memorably portrayed in Moliere's 17th-century comedy Le Malade Imaginaire, that has driven them to drugs, or the excellence of the health system.

The World Health Organisation rates France's health system the best there is.

[knighthawk]

The World Health Organisation rates France's health system the best there is

Yeah, we saw that last summer.

[knighthawk]

Europe-list

If people want on or off this list, please let me know.

[mylife]

Nearly one in four French people are on tranquillisers, anti-depressants, anti-psychotics or other mood-altering prescription drugs, a new report says.

Well that explains it!!

[mylife]

The question troubling some health professionals is whether it is the unique French attitude towards illness, memorably portrayed in Moliere's 17th-century comedy Le Malade Imaginaire, that has driven them to drugs, or the excellence of the health system.

Oh ya! keeping the people doped up is a sign of excellence in government health care!! SOMA for everyone!! Yeah!

[friendly]

I was drove all through Northern Spain and Southern France last summer, and it was shocking. At 9 PM the endless French villages were complete ghost towns. No signs of life. Not one human on the streets.

In Spain the entire village, old people, two year olds, every family was in the streets socializing, laughing, eating, having a great time until 12 AM or so. There couldn't have been a greater difference in cultures. (That and the Spanish roads were far superior).

The Frenchies must all be in bed stoned and medicated out of their gourds!

[friendly]

Please put me on the EURO ping.

[LibKill]

If I were a frog I'd find that depressing too. :)

[July 4th]

I read in another related article that the French consume roughly 50 different packages of medicine each year on average. They do have the highest life expectancy in Europe, but who wants to live their lives all tranqed up?

[knighthawk]

You are on the list.

[mylife]

I guess this isnt all that suprizing, consider that the French seem to have a preoccupation with depression after all Malaise and Enui are french words that have become international words. Its almost as if depression were part of the french identity.

[M-cubed]

interesting thing this massive world wide diagnosis of depression....especially in light of the huge drug companies investment in anti-epressants...perhaps there is another way to look at it in all but the most severe cases...could it be a God given survival tool?http://www.nytimes.com/library/national/science/health/020100hth-behavior-depression.html something to think about...

[mylife]

could it be a God given survival tool?

Yup it could be natures way of telling you somethings wrong.

[DeuceTraveler]

We can be amazed, but with all the drug users in this country I wouldn't say it's just France.