ALERT: Ask FDA to Stop Psychiatric Drug Ad Fraud!

[Guest guest]

Thu, 17 Nov 2005 12:03:33 -0800

mindfreedom-news

ALERT: Ask FDA to Stop Psychiatric Drug Ad Fraud!

 

 

NEWS ALERT - 17 November 2005

MindFreedom International

http://www.MindFreedom.org

 

How You May Comment to FDA

about Psychiatric Drug Ads.

 

FDA Web Form Makes it Easy

to Just Say 'No' to the

'Chemical Imbalance' Myth!

 

Do those psychiatric drug ads on USA TV,

the web and in print drive you crazy?

 

How about those psychiatric drug

ads that claim to help correct a

" chemical imbalance " ?

 

It turns out there is no scientific

evidence that such a chemical

imbalance exists, let alone that

any drug helps " correct " it.

 

The U.S. Food & Drug Administration

(FDA) recently held public hearings about

this " Direct to Consumer Advertising "

(DTCA).

 

You have until 28 February 2006

to submit your written comments.

 

A handy FDA web form lets you make

your comments in just a few moments.

 

Before you forget, act today and

forward this to others who might act!

 

* ACTION * ACTION * ACTION *

 

PLEASE GO TO the below FDA web site

and speak out against psychiatric drug

advertising, especially of the 'chemical

imbalance' myth!

 

Go to the FDA comments web form here,

click on the " Submit Comment " button

and then fill out the easy form:

 

http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/oc/dockets/comments/

getDocketInfo.cfm?

EC_DOCUMENT_ID=757 & SORT=END & MAXROWS=15 & START=121 & CID= & AGENCY=FDA

 

Or use this smaller url:

 

http://tinyurl.com/8gndt

 

Or you may mail your comments to:

 

FDA

5630 Fishers Lane

Rockville, MD 20852 USA

 

Refer to docket number 2005N-0354.

 

The title: " Consumer Directed Promotion of

Regulated Medical Products; Public Hearing. "

 

~~~~~~~~~

 

BACKGROUND ON THE CONTROVERSY

 

BELOW are web pages with information

about the " chemical imbalance " controversy.

 

~~~~~~~~~

 

See the 11/14/05 MindFreedom alert about an

excellent essay published by PLoS debunking

advertising claims about a chemical imbalance:

 

http://www.intenex.net/pipermail/mindfreedom-news/2005-November/

000014.html

 

or use this smaller url:

 

http://tinyurl.com/cbzzu

 

~~~~~~~~~

 

Here is an 11/8/05 MEDSCAPE news article

about the topic and the PLoS essay:

 

http://www.intenex.net/pipermail/mindfreedom-news/2005-November/

000015.html

 

or use the smaller url:

 

http://tinyurl.com/8s5e2

 

~~~~~~~~~

 

Here is the text of the 12/05 PLoS essay

that debunks the " chemical imbalance " ads:

 

http://medicine.plosjournals.org/perlserv/?request=get-

document & doi=10.1371/journal.pmed.0020392

 

or use this smaller url:

 

http://tinyurl.com/8vywy

 

~~~~~~~~~

 

Here is a print PDF (205 K) version of the PLoS essay:

 

http://medicine.plosjournals.org/archive/1549-1676/2/12/pdf/

10.1371_journal.pmed.0020392-p-L.pdf

 

or use this smaller url:

 

http://tinyurl.com/bcwf3

 

~~~~~~~~~

 

For background by FDA on their request for comments:

 

http://www.fda.gov/OHRMS/DOCKETS/98fr/05-18040.htm

 

[Please note there is no " period " at end of this

URL; a previous alert added this, our apologies.]

 

If you have questions about the FDA process

contact Rose Cunningham at the FDA at

CUNNINGHAMR

 

~~~~~~~~~

 

See MindFreedom's debate with Pfizer, Inc.,

manufacturer of Zoloft, about their

chemical imbalance claims:

 

http://www.mindfreedom.org/mindfreedom/pfizerlies.shtml

 

~~~~~~~~~

 

Also see the historic debate with the

American Psychiatric Association resulting

from MindFreedom's 2003 hunger strike:

 

http://www.mindfreedom.org/mindfreedom/hungerstrike.shtml

 

~~~~~~~~~~

 

This news alert is forwarded as a free

public service by the nonprofit human rights

organization MindFreedom International.

 

* Win human rights campaigns in mental health.

* End abuse by the psychiatric drug industry.

* Support the voices of psychiatric survivors.

* Promote safe and humane options in mental health.

 

MindFreedom International unites 100 sponsor

and affiliate groups with individual members,

and is accredited by the United Nations as

a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) with

Consultative Roster Status.

 

MindFreedom is one of the very few totally

independent groups in the mental health

field with no funding from governments,

drug companies, religions, corporations,

or the mental health system.

 

JOIN, DONATE, or give GIFT MEMBERSHIPS

to MindFreedom International today:

 

http://www.mindfreedom.org/join.shtml

 

For a MAD MARKET of books and products

to support human rights campaigns in

mental health: http://www.madmarket.org

 

MindFreedom International

454 Willamette, Suite 216 - POB 11284

Eugene, OR 97440-3484 USA

 

http://www.mindfreedom.org

email: office fax: (541) 345-3737

office phone: (541) 345-9106

USA toll free: 1-877-MAD-PRIDE / 1-877-623-7743

 

~~~~~~~~~

 

Please forward this to all appropriate

places on and off the Internet, thank you!

 

_____________

 

If you are not on the MindFreedom-News alert list already, sign up for

this free non-profit public service here:

http://www.intenex.net/lists/listinfo/mindfreedom-news

 

~~~~~~