| Every day Americans are bombarded with | | | | diet reduced heart attacks by a whopping 76%. |
| advertisements for the latest and greatest drugs on | | | | These same simple changes reduced stroke by 41% |
| the market. These ads portray people full of life and | | | | (397). The existence of these and many other facts |
| vitality. The drug manufacturers would have us | | | | should prompt us to question why no one is telling us |
| believe the people who consume their products are | | | | how to be truly healthy. Why are we bombarded |
| happy and healthy. It is implied that the chief goal of | | | | with advertisements about various drugs and yet we |
| the manufacturer is to help us live a better more | | | | are never instructed on how to prevent the illnesses |
| fulfilling life. This is far from the truth. It can be | | | | before they get started? |
| demonstrated by analyzing the expenditure of dollars | | | | The answer is very simple. Drug manufacturers can |
| for advertising drugs versus the teaching of | | | | not make any money by truly helping people to |
| prevention that making a profit is the goal of the | | | | remain healthy. The manufacturers can only stay in |
| major drug manufacturers. | | | | business when we are sick. A large number of our |
| Since the FDA changed the law in 1997 to allow | | | | prevalent illnesses are preventable and yet we are |
| direct-to-consumer advertising, the amount of money | | | | spending billions for drugs that have dangerous |
| spent by major drug manufacturers rivals the | | | | side-effects as well as drugs to treat those |
| expenditure by companies such as Dell, Budweiser, | | | | side-effects. |
| Pepsi and Nike. Between 1996 and 2003 there was a | | | | The convergence of the above facts leads us to a |
| 400% increase in advertising, from $791 million to | | | | very obvious conclusion. The motivations of the drug |
| $3.2 billion. In 2004 spending increased another 23% | | | | manufacturers are directed much more by profit |
| to over $4 billion. In 2000 Merck alone spent $161 | | | | margins than by truly making their customers healthy. |
| million (Gellad and Lyles 477). Could this money be | | | | Of course, this is what companies do. It is their |
| spent more wisely to advertise prevention rather | | | | mission to make money. |
| than cure? | | | | As individuals we should always remember that it is |
| It should be remembered that the drug | | | | solely our personal responsibility to manage, maintain |
| manufacturers make money from our illnesses, not | | | | and improve our health. The drug manufacturers are |
| our health. This is easily recognized by the fact that | | | | not directed by altruistic motives. Rather, as can be |
| the number one killer of men, cardiovascular disease, | | | | seen by the amount spent on advertising treatments |
| is largely preventable (qtd. in Mayo). In a leading | | | | rather than preventions, the intention is to profit |
| cardiovascular medical publication, Mark Houston | | | | from our illness instead of keeping us healthy. |
| reveals that simple but relatively unknown changes in | | | | |