U.S. should follow Canada in banning drug ads
As a former Canadian, I was happy to read your recent editorial, “Ads for drugs should be banned,” in the Nov. 25 Almanac. If the pharmaceutical companies can provide a product in Canada without paying for advertising, why not in the United States?
Some of the ads are unpleasant (watch out for shingles!) and uninviting (those with many, many warnings of the hazards) and offensive (why do we have to consider sexual problems?).
With the American Medical Association leading the way and alert and interested voters putting some pressure on their elected representatives, we should easily be able to pass legislation to ban direct advertising of drugs.
Mary Larsen
Mt. Lebanon