Tom the Dancing Bug by Ruben Bolling for December 04, 2014

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!