Deceptive pharmaceutical ads
Complaining about deceptive pharmaceutical ads is a little like complaining about dishonest politicians, but when you consider that some people are stupid enough to actually believe what is said in these drug ads, it’s a little more worrisome.
For instance, having taken Ambien once and watched my friends use it (purely recreationally), I now know that it is a devil drug from hell, and nobody should ever take it. It would be fun if you remembered the hardcore tripping out and hallucinations you undergo while on it, but once you ’sober up,’ you have absolutely no memory of the five hours or so you spent acting like a crazy person. One of my friends watched in horror as the posters around her room started to interact, and she claimed with all seriousness that the lamp was planning an attack on her laundry hamper. But, again, she had no memory of any of it once she snapped out of it. In the ads, they try to downplay the hallucinations, sleep walking, sleep driving, and other crazy things people do (i.e. eat cigarettes) while they’re on the drug, but selling the thing in the first place seems like a recipe for disaster. As far as I know, the drug doesn’t actually make you fall asleep, but actually makes you start dreaming awake. Scary stuff.
But that’s not the only deceptive ad out there. Some, like the Yaz ad that had to be retracted, and the Lipitor ads with the fake doctor, have become big news, but others continue to get away with misleading claims and unclear information. There’s a great article in the LA Times about this subject from earlier this month, and a Time Magazine video below also tackles the issue. Enjoy!
P.S. If anyone can locate a copy of the Lipitor “I never thought it could happen to me…heart attack at 53″ ad, give me the link. I like how it rhymes and sounds like the beginning of a country song.