[Drugs for "well-being". Drugs and biotechnology as instruments of self-programming?].
New drugs are being released on the market with the alluring promise of a better quality of life. Together with the "magic" pills already available, as amphetamines, benzodiazepines and antidepressants, Viagra and new compounds to control lipid metabolism, appear to open new avenues to individual self-determination and self-improvement. Also new biotechnological resources allow today a far more manipulated control of procreation. Designed to target specific groups of patients with well-defined psycho-physiological problems, these new drugs and biotechnologies are becoming available to the larger public. Incorrect information by the mass media, insufficient control by some physicians and self-promoting attitudes in healthy subjects may combine into a powerful cocktail, creating confusion and leading to an incorrect use of these drugs. Can individuals really improve themselves in this fashion or are they just abusing drugs for their own purposes? Are the costs of these drugs and procedures socially justified?
Dipartimento di Farmacologia, Chemioterapia e Tossicologia Medica, Facoltà di Medicina, Università degli Studi, Milano, Italia.
L
L
Mariani
D001709:Biotechnology; D006801:Humans; D019964:Mood Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000523:psychology*; D011619:Psychotropic Drugs / Q000494:pharmacology; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology; D012651:Self Medication
D011619:Psychotropic Drugs