By William N. Thompson Reprinted with permission of the author. Originally published in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette . Drugs conquer diseases.
Modern society needs drugs.
But drugs must be safe. Before any new drug is approved for use by the Food and Drug Administration, impartial tests must be made to assure safety. Gambling is, if not a drug, a drug-like activity. It can be good medicine. Its benefits are touted by a gaming industry and politicians advocating legalization.