Tom the Dancing Bug - Friday January 1, 2021 Comic Strip Licensing and Permissions

Transcript

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 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 may parents have a credibility problem. Bette: Okay, I've 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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