Drugs and Alcohol

Had an interesting conversation last night with a guy on antibiotics. He didn't know that you're supposed to avoid alcohol when you're on antibiotics, cause supposedly alochol knocks out their effectiveness.

"I know it says`don't drink alcohol' on the bottle of pills," he said, "but I thought that was just cause that's what prescription drugs always say."

Which got me thinking about why we don't follow directions in this country. I'm not saying that a failure to follow obscure, vague or unethical directions is bad - it's what made our nation sort of great. But it's clear that "don't drink alcohol" has sort of blended into the wallpaper when it comes to prescription drugs. I think it would be advisable for drug companies - and anyone who really means it when they ask us to do something (parents included) - should make it a point to offer more than the implicit "because I said so" that comes on mose pill bottles. So here are some simple suggestions to see to it that people pay attention to those vaguely threatening warnings on their prescription drugs:
"Do not mix with alcohol or you will be videotaped spewing anti-semetic invective at police officers during a traffic stop. Then your pecker will pop off."
"Removing this tag will result in a thermonuclear explosion."
"Do not operate heavy machinery while on this drug or you'll spend the rest of your life explaining how you drove a backhoe over a kindergarten."
etc.
Heavy handed, perhaps. Effective? Undoubtedly.