The scar from sleep pills
In my quest to find a solution to my parents’ sleeping pill addiction, Han Cheung’s article “Taiwan: pill popping nation,” in the Taipei Times (Nov. 3, 2022, page 13) caught my attention. It sheds light on Taiwan’s growing issue with sleeping pill addiction, prompting concerns about the healthcare system’s accountability.
My parents, in the care of my brother-in-law and his wife while I reside in the US, have become unfortunate statistics in Taiwan’s disconcerting trend.
Our annual family visits transformed from joyful holidays to dire necessities, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. My father’s battle with the virus, while life-threatening, unveiled a more insidious threat — his reliance on sleeping pills.
Before COVID-19, my 81-year-old father already took a nightly sleeping pill, but post-COVID-19, his intake surged to two to three, even four pills daily. The excessive number is, in part, a result of his forgetfulness induced by the pills, leading him to take more.
Multiple doctors, driven by monetary incentives and their patients’ insistence, perpetuate this dangerous cycle, resulting in an episode in which my father slept for eight days straight, necessitating an emergency hospital visit. After his painful withdrawal and a brief return to normalcy, he relapsed to taking one to two pills daily. Attempts to discuss his additction or prevent the excessive consumption are met with belligerence.
My mother, aged 81, faces a similar struggle. Pre-COVID-19, she took one sleeping pill daily for self-diagnosed reasons. During the pandemic, her pill intake increased due to boredom and anxiety. Injuring herself while stumbling around — a side-effect of the pills — she is attempting to self-monitor, but is losing the battle. Once a skilled cook and a cheerful person, she is now unrecognizable.
Desperate for a solution, we proposed they move to the US, offering the warmth of family, particularly their cherished grandchildren.
Unfortunately, their addiction’s vice grip prevents them from taking this step. Knowing for certain there would be no access to sleeping pills, their rejection remains resolute. Ultimately, they are choosing pills over family.
Reading Cheung’s article initially sparked hope for change, envisioning a movement against careless prescription practices.
However, discovering that it was written in 2022, with no tangible impact, has deepened my frustration. Patients like my parents, trusting their doctors, remain unaware of the potential conflict of interest between doctors and pharmaceutical companies.
The crucial question arises: Do doctors not have an ethical duty to prioritize patients over profits? This question is poignant in Taiwan, boasting a superior healthcare system. The health and care promised to citizens seem elusive as our family succumbs to this epidemic plaguing Taiwan.
Lisa Choi
California
Trying to force a partnership between Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC) and Intel Corp would be a wildly complex ordeal. Already, the reported request from the Trump administration for TSMC to take a controlling stake in Intel’s US factories is facing valid questions about feasibility from all sides. Washington would likely not support a foreign company operating Intel’s domestic factories, Reuters reported — just look at how that is going over in the steel sector. Meanwhile, many in Taiwan are concerned about the company being forced to transfer its bleeding-edge tech capabilities and give up its strategic advantage. This is especially
US President Donald Trump’s second administration has gotten off to a fast start with a blizzard of initiatives focused on domestic commitments made during his campaign. His tariff-based approach to re-ordering global trade in a manner more favorable to the United States appears to be in its infancy, but the significant scale and scope are undeniable. That said, while China looms largest on the list of national security challenges, to date we have heard little from the administration, bar the 10 percent tariffs directed at China, on specific priorities vis-a-vis China. The Congressional hearings for President Trump’s cabinet have, so far,
The US Department of State has removed the phrase “we do not support Taiwan independence” in its updated Taiwan-US relations fact sheet, which instead iterates that “we expect cross-strait differences to be resolved by peaceful means, free from coercion, in a manner acceptable to the people on both sides of the Strait.” This shows a tougher stance rejecting China’s false claims of sovereignty over Taiwan. Since switching formal diplomatic recognition from the Republic of China to the People’s Republic of China in 1979, the US government has continually indicated that it “does not support Taiwan independence.” The phrase was removed in 2022
US President Donald Trump, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth have each given their thoughts on Russia’s war with Ukraine. There are a few proponents of US skepticism in Taiwan taking advantage of developments to write articles claiming that the US would arbitrarily abandon Ukraine. The reality is that when one understands Trump’s negotiating habits, one sees that he brings up all variables of a situation prior to discussion, using broad negotiations to take charge. As for his ultimate goals and the aces up his sleeve, he wants to keep things vague for
RSS