Guest guest Posted February 26, 2003 Report Share Posted February 26, 2003 Tue, 25 Feb 2003 14:50:00 -0500 WC Douglass Who's the pusher? Daily Dose February 25, 2003 ************************************************************** When they say TV is " like a drug, " they're not kidding... An Associated Press article from this past year revealed that in just four years, between 1996 and 2000, the pharmaceutical industry increased spending on consumer- targeted TV advertising by a whopping 700%, from $220 million to $1.6 billion. Why? Because drug companies have finally figured out that marketing their products directly to you is a more effective use of their ad budgets than continuing to court conventional doctors who already believe in the benefits of prescription drugs. Business-wise, this makes perfect sense, doesn't it? Why should the major drug makers " preach to the choir " when they can harness the power of the boob tube to drive tens of thousands of potential new addicts-er, I mean users-flocking to their doctors to ask for their products BY NAME. The irony here is almost poetic: Drug companies using our dependence on TV to fuel our dependence on prescription medications... Now, don't misunderstand me-the kind, benevolent pharmaceuticals giants still spend tens of millions of dollars " educating " mainstream doctors about their helpful, harmless and reasonably priced patent medicines. It's just that now they've created a whole new sphere of demand on the consumer side of the fence. What's wrong with that, you ask? Plenty. For starters, the ads show only the benefits of the drugs, not the downsides-and the vague, brief list of possible side effects actually drives the sale as it invariably concludes with some phrase like " Ask your doctor for more details... " What's worse, a lot of these ads-especially the ones for allergies, joint pain and indigestion relief-actually convince people they're sick by listing symptoms that just about anyone can have on any given day. I mean, who among us doesn't deal with a little stiffness, heartburn or congestion once in a while? Does that automatically mean we're sick and we need drugs right away? These ads create the tendency for people to diagnose themselves with illnesses and identify prescription solutions in their own minds long before any doctor has examined them. These preconceived notions can make the doc's job harder-if he isn't already laboring under the same notions. Sad to say, most conventional doctors are, thanks to the " education " efforts paid for by drug companies. These are just a few of the reasons why consumer-targeted TV ads for patent drugs compromise the very foundations of the medical process, a process that's supposed to be sacred, objective, and progressive-not commercial. In my opinion, drug companies shouldn't be allowed to market their products directly to consumers at all, but especially on television. It's simply too powerful a medium, and it blinds people to safe, effective alternatives they might have considered otherwise. And given my typical anti-government stance (especially when it comes to drugs, natural cures and the FDA's double- standard in regulatory practices), you'll probably fall over backward when I say this, but...THERE OUGHT TO BE A LAW! ************************************************************** Honey, pass the exercise, please... Scientists. They're so busy worrying about whether they CAN do something that they never stop to consider whether or not they SHOULD. This is especially true of those eggheads who develop new drugs-or the technology that creates the desire for new drugs. Need an example? Listen to this: Recently, some Duke University School of Medicine researchers have identified the enzyme that stimulates the production of cellular mitochondria-the part of your body's cells that converts oxygen and other things into energy. In people who exercise, this enzyme becomes more active, producing more of these microscopic " power plants " in their cells... And you guessed it: These scientists have also discovered a way to activate this enzyme WITHOUT any of that pesky exercise. You already know how skeptical I am about exercise and all the " fitness fanatics " telling us to run, pump iron, and otherwise get into a sweat. That said, I recognize the potential upsides of this discovery. Used properly, it could render amazing health benefits to those diabetics, heart patients, and others who are unable to exercise at all-or at least not to the point that it would help them. But would a drug maker really market such a drug as a potential lifesaver? Could they really resist the temptation to hawk it as " exercise-in-a-pill " for busy career-minded people, or package and pitch it as a miracle weight loss plan? I wouldn't lay odds on it. Urging you to " just say no, " William Campbell Douglass II, MD ************************************************************** Copyright ©1997-2003 by www.realhealthnews.com, L.L.C. 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