In the annals of “What Not To Do” we have the following story from the NY Times. Now, we had a lot of similar (but luckily none fatal) episodes related to the recent early heavy snowstorm that hit the Northeast US this past weekend. Namely, people using space heaters (non-electric, usually fired by kerosene) or generators inside their homes because they were cold and had no electric power. In fact, there are still entire towns without power! And it’s only the first week in Nov! Anyway, these people all failed to realize the dangers of carbon monoxide. Luckily, everyone I saw was just suffering from mild exposure (fatigue, headache, etc) but this guy in the Bronx accidentally offed himself in the back of the landscaping truck by starting up the lawnmower inside! I mean, come on. I am always shocked about how often this happens and how ignorant people are about it. It seems they think the only way to get CO poisoning is from automobile exhaust!

In my opinion, we are a country where too many people follow the teachings/rules/threats of organised religion. In a general sense it creats a situation where others are forced to adhere to these principles through the presence of socially oppressive laws (abortion, ETOH laws, etc). However this post is more about how strict adherence to these beliefs can be detrimental to one’s health.
Examples I have seen personally include:
1. A 31 y/o male Jahova’s Witness died in front of his young family because he refused a blood transfusion for an easily curable condition.
2. A family of Orthodox Jews almost died from carbon monoxide poisoning because they left their gas stove on for 24 hrs during a holiday where they were “not allowed” to turn it on or off during that period since it’s considered “work”.
3. A diabetic Catholic man came in seizing because his blood sugar was 23. He had been fasting for a holiday and ate or drank nothing for 24 hours. Of course he had taken his oral Meds before the fast started.
4. A Muslim woman nearly died from vaginal bleeding because she initially signed out AMA when she found out there were no females providers available that night to examine her.
I know there are a jillion other cases like these out there. It reinforces my belief that being inflexibly religious should come with a Surgeon General’s warning.

Dude knows how to party.

Start off with a half a bottle of tequilla. Smoke a big fat joint.  Bang some 7 gram rocks. Pop a couple of Adderall.

Can’t sleep at the end of the night?  What would Charlie do?

How ’bout chug two bottles of Nyquil?

And box your liver!   End the night with some N-Acetylcysteine! Party on Wanye!  Party on Garth!