Tom the Dancing Bug - Thursday December 4, 2014 Comic Strip Licensing and Permissions

Transcript

Enjoy this Classic Tom the Dancing Bug Every Thursday Vintage 1999 Panels from the annals of the Tom the Dancing Bug archive Check back every Friday for a fresh, brand new Tom the Dancing Bug! Tom the Dancing Bug by Ruben Bolling Presents: News of the Times Placebo Drug Craze Hits Teens Bette Haugen is at the end of her rope. Bette: At first, I didn't think it was such a big deal...I found a few sugar pills in his backpack... "But when I found a syringe and a vial of saline solution in his underwear drawer, I knew our Billy had a big problem." Her son is hooked on the latest teen drug kick -- PLACEBOS. Doctor: Medical science has known about placebos for years, but they've only now become a dangerous teen rage. Worse, this drug preys on our most impressionable and stupid youngsters. Boy #1: You got 'cebos? Boy #2: Yup. Flour tablets. Boy #1: Wow! I'm getting high just LOOKING at 'em! The frustration in fighting the drug is that ANY substance can be used for a placebo effect. Boy: I've gotten high off eating lint, sniffing pine cones, rubbing a fusebox, licking a Schnauzer... You can use anything if you're desperate... Placed alone in a bare, windowless room, this teen can still get her "fix" by hopping on one foot and squinting her eyes. Girl: Ohh... Wow. Another issue is that many parents have a credibility problem. Bette: Okay, I experimented with smoking oregano when I was a kid, but this is hardcore stuff! The only treatment for placebo addiction is the distribution of red-colored water at placebo clinics. Pharmacist: You just had a dose this morning! Boy: C'mon, man! I'm jonesin'! Gimme the reds!

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