Pain Management in War Torn America

Paper Summary:

The paper discusses the concept that pain ridden Americans are taking the idea of pain management into their own hands. More specifically, the paper discusses the movie "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas" and hos the movie demonstrates that if the American legal system and physicians would provide better healthcare in the area of pain management, many people suffering from pain would not be abusing illegal drugs.

From the Paper:

"Terry Gilliam's movie "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas" deals with this bioethical issue of how a war torn country was coping with its pain. Throughout the movie, the audience is constantly bombarded with images and scenes of war. Clips from newsreels of Vietnam show up on the television and background radio noise. While driving to Las Vegas, a woman on the radio speaks about soldier's dying from illegal drug overdose. The circus they attend while in Vegas is likened to "what the whole hip world would be doing on a Saturday night if the Nazis had won the war. This was the sixth Reich," (Gilliam 1998). On one scene, Dr. Gonzo screams out "I just got back from Vietnam," (Gilliam 1998) while throwing up outside of a car, antagonizing a couple next to them in a taxi. Due to lack of physician orientated help, many soldiers and Americans turned to illegal substances. Dr. Gonzo and Hunter S. Thompson view these illegal substances as their "medication." They medicate themselves throughout the movie to ease the pain cause by the war and of failing to obtain the American Dream, "Learn to enjoy loosing."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Brush, Peter. "Higher and Higher: Drug Use Among U.S. Forces in Vietnam." Vanderbilt University. Retrieved on October 20, 2007 at http://www.library.vanderbilt.edu/central/brush/American-drug-use-vietnam.htm
• Caplan, Arthur L. "Bioethics for Beginners: An Introduction to Bioethics." Bioethics.net. Retrieved on October 20, 2007 at http://www.bioethics.net/articles.php?iew(at=3&articleID=1)
• Christopher, Myra. "Pain Policy Update." Partnersaganistpain.com. Retrieved on October 20, 2007 at http://www.partnersagainstpain.com/PainMatters/pain_policy.asp
• Gilliam, Terry. May 1998. "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas." Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas
• Merk & Co. "Pain: The Merk Manual Section 16." Neurological Disorders Chapter 209. Retrieved on October 20, 2007 a http://www.merk.com

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