Remember when cigarettes were killing so many Americans that their advertising was banned from television? The written word carried disclaimers and packaging had to state the Surgeon General’s Warning?
Now there is a new crisis. The 3rd largest killer of Americans is never mentioned and allowed the obscene privilege of advertising directly to consumers without controls.
Although rarely mentioned, properly prescribed pharmaceuticals, not recreationally used pharmaceuticals, are the 3rd largest killer of Americans and 4th largest killer globally. Their dangers fall only behind heart disease and cancer. Even with these stunning statistics, drug manufacturers are allowed to advertise directly to consumers in the United States, something most countries do not allow.
America is one of only two countries that allows pharmaceutical advertising directly to consumers. Television and magazine advertising is overwhelming a now drug dependent USA. These ads have convinced an otherwise bright group of people that their failing health is due to a lack of pharmaceuticals and it is literally killing us.
How does this happen in a modern society that undoubtedly "knows better?" Pharmaceutical industry advertising accounts for the lion's share of advertising income for network television and is a huge contributor to magazine advertising income. With that said their influence has taken over reasonable thinking.
This influence taints what Americans see and hear as news, as truth about medicines and fails to disclose the facts when convenient. The overwhelming financial relationship has converted common sense into financial relationships with political ties and government relationships while Americans suffer. Meanwhile, it is impossible to get unbiased reporting of what the medical industry is doing when they are the wallet that pays the rent.
It is time for this unhealthy habit to stop. When cigarettes became a crisis the Surgeon General intervened. We have an even greater crisis on hand now and we are overdue for correction.
America is one of only two countries that allows pharmaceutical advertising directly to consumers. Television and magazine advertising is overwhelming a now drug dependent USA. These ads have convinced an otherwise bright group of people that their failing health is due to a lack of pharmaceuticals and it is literally killing us.
How does this happen in a modern society that undoubtedly "knows better?" Pharmaceutical industry advertising accounts for the lion's share of advertising income for network television and is a huge contributor to magazine advertising income. With that said their influence has taken over reasonable thinking.
This influence taints what Americans see and hear as news, as truth about medicines and fails to disclose the facts when convenient. The overwhelming financial relationship has converted common sense into financial relationships with political ties and government relationships while Americans suffer. Meanwhile, it is impossible to get unbiased reporting of what the medical industry is doing when they are the wallet that pays the rent.
It is time for this unhealthy habit to stop. When cigarettes became a crisis the Surgeon General intervened. We have an even greater crisis on hand now and we are overdue for correction.