[realignedliving]

"I disagree. I wouldn't say anything that gets approved is safe." and "Tell me this is irony."
In the grand scheme of things, most of what's approved for medical use is safe for the general population. There probably have been less than stellar drugs that were allowed for general use in the past, but it's rare now. Things are insanely tested, monitored, and assigned for specific uses, and you yourself are considered when given a drug to take. Sure, you might end up with an undesirable side effect that doesn't happen very often (at all), but how are you to know unless you take it?

"...the comparison with car crashes is sort of weak because side effects are usually guaranteed or at least common."
Really? With 99% of the drugs I've taken for medical problems, I've had no visible side effects. Then again, it most likely depends on what the drug is, what it's treating, and the specific person. I wouldn't even say side effects are "moderate" for most drugs - I'd say "minimal" or less would be normal.

The car crash comparison wasn't to make some flamboyant point. Of course crashing in a car would be a ton worse than almost any of the side effects listed! But you wouldn't not get in a car because it has a very slight chance of crashing and causing damage to yourself, much like how most people wouldn't not take a drug because it has the potential for (mainly) very mild side effects, if any even appear.