The White Falcon - 03.12.1993, Page 3

Over-the-counter medications
The Doc Talks
By Lt. Susan Platts
harmacy Officer, U.S. Naval Hospital
Keflavfk
Trade names are big business. Companies
spend millions of dollars in advertising to
become a household name and Madison
Avenue hits the jackpot when a name be-
comes synonymous for a particular product
People with a headache take Tylenol or
Bufferin, not acetaminophen or aspirin, and
brand name loyalty is a powerful phenome-
non.
Tylenol is but one example of a product
line capitalizing on a familiar and trusted
name. Consumers can now purcahseTylenol-
PM, Tylenol-S/nus, Tylenol-Headache Plus,
Tylenol -Cold, Tylenol-Cold and Flu,
Tylenol -Cough, Ty\e.no\-Cough Deconges-
tant and more. All of these contain, in addi-
tion to acetaminophen, active ingredients that
may be unanticipated or unwanted by the
unwary consumer.
A more dangerous trend is the marketing
of unexpected ingredients under a recogniz-
able trade name. In one example, Chlor-
Trimeton was originally used to designate
chlorpheniramine, an antihistamine. A new
formulation, Chlor-Trimeton Non-Drowsy,
contains an entirely different ingredient and
no antihistamine at all. The danger arises
when a person with a medical condition
aggravated by certain medications becomes
confused or inattentive while shopping for a
remedy. A person with glaucoma can take
Chlor-Trimeton but not Chlor-Trimeton Non
Drowsy. This formulation will not provide
the same level of allergy relief as the original
Chlor-Trimeton.
Additionally, few physicians are familiar
with the many formulations of over-the-
counter (OTC) medications available. There
are nearly 200 products that contain chlor-
phenirame alone. It is the responsibility of
patients to be able to inform their health care
providers of all the medications they are
taking, both prescription and OTC. Carrying
a card with all your medications written on it
makes things much easier.
Be specific. Attention to detail could af-
fect your health.
National Drunk and Drugged Driving Awareness Month
By AMSl(AW) John Wilson
Starting Sunday and continuing through
Dec. 11, the base will celebrate National
Drunk and Drugged Driving Awareness
Month.
HThis year’s theme is, “Let’s take a stand.
Friends don’t let friends drive drunk.” The
Counseling and Assistance Center (CAAC)
is joining hundreds of state, local and na-
tional organizations to support efforts to
reduce preventable deaths on our highways.
Some people might be a little surprised to
learn that drinking and driving is a concern
here cm the base. It is.
Every year, too many of our shipmates
elect to ignore the warnings and take to the
roads after they have been drinking. So far,
on base, only careers have been killed, but it’s
only a matter of time before drinking and
driving takes its first life. Back in the states,
over 17,000 of our fathers, mothers, sons,
daughters and friends were killed in crashes
caused by drunk drivers.
When you really examine the behavior of
drunk driving, it becomes even more incred-
ible that ANY ONE in their right mind would
doit First you have to drink a central nervous
system depressant (alcohol), then load your-
self into a sheet metal box (automobile).
Sitting in close proximity is a container of 20
or so gallons of the most volatile explosive
ever invented (gasoline). Now, in a drugged
state, you propel this box down a narrow
corridor (highway). To make this evolution
even more interesting, assume that a few
hundred like-minded individuals are doing
the same thing in their metal boxes.
When you multiply this scenario by the
thousands of cities in which it takes place
each day, it is surprising that only 17,000
lives were lost last year.
Here in Keflavfk, we choose to be part of
the solution and not part of the problem. We
do this by our willingness to take a stand, by
holding people accountable and by setting
the example; in short, to get involved.
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The promise, color and wonder of Hanukkah
By Chaplain Joel Schwartzman
No other time of the year is as
exciting for an American Jewish
child. No other holiday in the
Jewish calendar holds as much
promise, color and wonder as this
Feast of Lights.
Although Hanukkah is, in re-
ality, but a miner holiday, the
fact that American Jews exchange
resents on these eight days, or at
it (Hi some of them, makes this
ie of great anticipation for
e children.
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Hanukkah means rededication
and refers to the time around 165
BCE (before the common era)
when a small band of Jews over-
came the idol worship practices
of their Seleucidan rulers. Hav-
ing recaptured Jerusalem and
Solomon’sTemple, they cleansed
the sanctuary and rededicated it
to the worship of one true God.
The duration of the holiday,
eight days, is derived from the
fact that a cruise of blessed oil
which should only have lasted a
single day burned instead for eight
full days.
The leaders of the people, the
Maccabees, had overcome great
odds in fighting for what they
believed in. Hanukkah then
became a celebration of religious
freedom for the Jewish people.
Each night, starting this year
on the evening of Dec. 8, Jews
will add a candle to their meno-
rahs (candelabras) until they have
reached the eighth and final night
Some will further celebrate by
eating potato pancakes called
latkes. Others will follow the
Israeli custom of indulging in
jelly-filled donuts called, in
Hebrew, sufganiot. Both foods
are fried in oil reminiscent of the
cruise of holy oil. Some, recall-
ing what was done in Europe and
is today continued in Israel, will
give their children coins which
are called Hanukkah gelt
There are special songs and
games for this festival. Espe-
cially popular is dreidl, a game of
chance played with a spinning
top whose sides have Hebrew
letters inscribed. Their meaning
is “a great miracle happened
there.”
Coming as it does in the dreary
wintertime, Hanukkah serves to
gladden and cheer those who
celebrate it
December 3,1993
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