We've re-printed two excellent articles on government paternalism in the world of medicine written by Trent McBride of The Proximal Tubule blog. The articles are relevant for anyone interested in the government's war on pain patients and doctors and how it ties in to the "war on drugs". Here's an excerpt:

As a matter of fact, the prescription-only status for drugs is a prescription of our liberty. The idea that physicians and lawmakers can tell citizens what they can't put into their bodies violates the spirit of human freedom and the moral fact that we as individuals own our own bodies. Indeed, the federal government has gained this power only through a very broad interpretation of constitutional powers. I really don't think anybody would dispute these statements. The dispute arises on whether the arguments stated above justify restricting human liberty with regard to medicine.

McBride is a medical pathology student at the University of Kentucky. Check out his articles here and here.