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ETHICAL ISSUES IN DRUG ADVERTISING |
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| Publisher: |
Yusuf Danesi |
| Date: |
2007-03-17 |
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As consumers, we are exposed to several commercial messages daily. They may come in the form of radio ads, newspaper ads, TV commercials, publicity, event sponsorships, SMS marketing, billboard ads, etc. These are some of the communication tools that companies and organizations deploy to win and retain customers, clients and prospects.
According to the Nigeria Code of Advertising Practice, “advertising is a form of communication through the media about products, services or ideas paid for by an identified sponsor.” Over the years the sophistication of marketing has increased tremendously as messages that encourage us to buy are crafted by creative, talented people.
Advertisements provide information which we consumers find quite helpful. Advertisements increase our knowledge of the product choices, available to us. Advertisements have come to play a vital role for the business community in an economy based on free enterprise; in a nutshell advertisements are a valid part of modern life.
As a social force, advertising has been a major factor in improving the standard of living around the world- it is estimated that worldwide expenditure on advertising has been “growing faster than the world gross product.”
Aside from stimulating sales, advertising also serves other social needs, e.g. media receive their primary revenue from advertising. This therefore fosters freedom of the press and encourages more complete information.
Ethics comprise two interrelated components, i.e. the traditional actions taken by people in a society or community and the philosophical rules that society formulates to justify such actions and decree future actions.
Ethics in marketing communications involves issues of right and wrong or moral conduct as they relate to any aspect of the profession. The International Chamber of Commerce, a world non-governmental organization based in Paris, serves world business. The Chamber has been the world’s advocate of ethical practice, through codes, which it promulgates to cover almost every aspect of marketing communications.
It is remarkable that every country in the world tries to tailor its code along the Chamber’s model; this ensures that consumers’ interests and observance of the principles of fair competition are observed.
Some of the headings within the rules of the Chamber are: decency, honesty, intimation of advertising, identification of advertisements, special categories of product and service, unacceptable practice connected with advertising, etc. The Chamber’s Code requires all advertising to be prepared with a high sense of responsibility.
Since its advent, advertising has had to struggle with issues of honesty and ethics. In the early 1900s, consumers in the US suffered for years from unsubstantiated product claims, especially for patent medicines and health devices. However, since the late 1950s, legislation to protect the consumer/the consumer movement has gained influence and power in many countries of the western world.
A recent study on the role of ethics in advertising by David Krueger, a Managerial and Corporate Ethics Professor at Baldwin Wallace College, US, reveals that questions of honesty and truth create fundamental moral challenges for the practice of advertising. He is of the opinion that these moral challenges seem to be deeply rooted in the very nature of the profession and its role in a consumer society.
These challenges can better be understood within the context of advertising’s engagement of puffery, which more or else exaggerates, fabricates and fantasizes in its bid to persuade the consumer to buy a product or patronize a service. What therefore arises is the question of moral boundaries that society wishes to place around advertising.
A drug is a substance that modifies behaviour, physiology and is simply therapeutic. It is manufactured, sold and presented for use in the diagnosis, treatment, or prevention of a disease, disorder, abnormal physical state and of the symptoms thereof, or in restoring, correcting or modifying any function in man or animal.
Medicines are of two general kinds:
1. Prescription drugs, or Rx drugs
2. Over-the-counter drugs (OTC)
OTC drugs are generally referred to as medications that can be purchased at pharmacies without a doctor’s written prescription. Some OTC drugs are highly advertised while there is evidence that advertising plays a crucial role in the lives of many OTC preparations. One can buy OTC drugs anytime as most OTC drugs treat only the symptoms of a disease, the signs that something wrong. Examples of OTC drugs are cough medicines, and cold tablets.
Prescription drugs often treat the causes of a disease, while about 70% of all medicines manufactured in the US may be prescription drugs. It is also believed that American doctors prescribe more than 1.5 billion ethical drugs each year. Ethical drugs are high potency drugs which can only be prescribed by qualified medical doctors or pharmacists. Examples of such drugs are antibiotics, Viagra and tranquilizers.
As at 2000, the Nigerian Pharmaceutical Market (NPM) was valued at over N20 billion minus the parallel imports.
Unlike OTC drugs, ethical drugs can by law be advertised only to doctors.
It is generally believed that in consumer marketing, advertising plays the most important function, followed by sales promotion, personal selling and public relations.
Direct-to-Consumer (DTC) advertising of ethical drugs is currently permitted in only the United States and New Zealand. It is currently banned in all other countries, including the United Kingdom and Nigeria.
While Nigerian orthodox medicine practitioners refrain from engaging mass-media advertising for ethical drugs, it is the opposite with trado-medical practitioners, who have the answers to diabetes, asthma, HIV/AIDS, hypertension, cancer, epilepsy, kidney disorder, etc. According to Akunyili, the “inordinate quest for material wealth is partly responsible for the little premium, which such herbal practitioners and their collaborators in media and advertising firms place on human life.”
Drug advertising, if not properly regulated, could only lead to chaos and anarchy as unsuspecting consumers are easily misled. Competition also arises whereby consumers find themselves at the receiving end as they are easily exploited. Consequently, the economy suffers because real manufacturers, importers and distributors of medicines are driven out of the market by businessmen who invest virtually nothing in R&D.
It is also not surprising that this state of anarchy can only promote the dumping of fake and substandard drugs in the country. One can then visualize the burden this trend places on our already fragile healthcare delivery system.
Recently, the United States FDA advisers recommended that consumer advertising of Cox-2 painkillers (class of anti-inflammatory drugs) be limited or banned, blaming aggressive marketing for their misuse in 2005. The Agency said the overall risk versus benefit profile of Pfizer’s Bextra was unfavourable. Bextra is Pfizer’s 8th biggest selling drug at $1.2 billion. The company also withdrew Celebrex consumer advertising amid concerns that it posed increased cardiovascular risks.
Levitra is marketed by Bayer, Schering-Plough & GlaxoSmithKline. The FDA ordered the discontinuation of the Levitra ads because they failed to disclose the drug’s indication, failed to include information relating to the major side effects and contraindications and failed to make adequate provision for dissemination of the FDA-approved labeling.
In 2004, Merck and Pfizer spent about $187 million promoting Vioxx and Celebrex, respectively, to consumers. Merck actually obeyed the FDA by withdrawing Vioxx from the market in 2005 because of heart attack and stroke concerns.
America’s pharmaceutical industry spent $4.1 billion on consumer drug advertising in 2004, beyond 28% from 2003 and far outpacing the 6.3% rise for ad spending across all industries in 2004. This shows that the pharmaceutical sector is highly profitable.
When everything from cars to toothpaste is marketed to the public, why should drugs be restricted? The underlying principle of free market economics is that a society is best served by empowering people to make their own decisions and act as free agents, within a system by the following fundamental assumptions:
1. Self interest
2. Many Buyers and many Sellers
3. Complete information
4. Absence of externalities
Should consumer health or commercial interests be given priority? Can drug advertising - whose aim is to sell a product –provide the type of information consumers need? How should advertising be regulated if the guiding principle is the best possible use of medicines, only if and when they are needed, in the interest of individual and public health?
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO) two-thirds of the world’s countries either do not have laws to regulate pharmaceutical advertising or do not enforce the regulations they have. Even in advanced countries, studies show that most doctors who prescribe inappropriately do so because they over-rely on advertising messages. The outcome? Poorer health conditions!
The WHO ethical criteria state that promotion of ethical and OTC drugs should:
1. Be consistent with national health policies
2. Contain reliable claims, without misleading or unverifiable statements
3. Contain no omissions which could lead to health risks
4. Not be designed so as to disguise its real nature, for example as educational or scientific activities.
The Ethical Criteria also take care of general guidelines for ads to the medical profession and the public, conduct of sales representatives, free samples, symposia and scientific meetings, post-marketing studies, packaging and labeling, patient information and promotion of exported drugs.
Note that though WHO Ethical Criteria do not constitute legal obligations to member-states, they are recommendations to member-states for their implementation through their national legislation and regulation. Meanwhile they promote self-regulatory methods.
Unfortunately, these clear and straightforward criteria have been much neglected by regulators, health professionals, industry staff and the public.
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ETHICAL ISSUES IN DRUG ADVERTISING Keywords: |
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Dora Akunyili Nigeria CPC drug advertising ETHICAL ISSUES IN DRUG ADVERTISING Advertising Business |
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Related Article:ETHICAL ISSUES IN DRUG ADVERTISING |
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Kausik Dutta |
2007-11-23 |
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Title: Drug Rehabilitation
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Drug addiction happens when someone takes drug compulsively regardless of the mental, emotional and physical consequences. Many people take drugs to forget about or blot out a problem. These problems can be anything: relationships issues, past sexual or physical abuse, a terrible accident, and more. People use drugs to temporarily forget about these issues and have some relief from the mental or physical anguish that these issues cause. However, this is just trading one problem for another.
There are many common signs of drug addiction that can help you notice if you or someone you know has a problem with drugs. Is this person obsessively talking or thinking about their drug of choice? Do they exhibit poor coordination or irregular speech? Are they unable to quit the drugs without help? Do they seem irritable, and are they frequently argumentative? These are just some of the more common signs of drug addiction, and they serve as a red flag that the drug user needs help.
One of the first and most difficult parts of recovering from a drug addiction is the initial detoxification. A successful detox will impact the success of the recovery, so this time is very crucial. Drug detox centers such as Renaissance Malibu do everything they can to ensure that the detox is as painless and gentle as possible.
After detox, it’s time for the addict to go on to a treatment center such as CARE Addiction Recovery. At CARE, addicts enter various programs in order to help them to successfully and fully recover from their addictions. CARE also has a relapse prevention program to help prepare addicts with the tools necessary to avoid relapsing. All of this combines to create a successful recovery program.
If you or someone you know is affected by an addiction, don’t wait to begin the road to recovery. Addicted.com can help you to find the right alcohol treatment program for you or a loved one.
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Andy Eliason |
2007-11-16 |
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Title: The Ethical Internet Advertising Agency
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An Internet advertising agency has a number of options open to them, both ethical and non-ethical, when it comes to promoting your website. As search engines continue to evolve their algorithms, marketing companies work to keep up. There are numerous "rules" an Internet advertising agency can follow to build solid, lasting rankings, or – and this is the scary part – they can use those rules to attempt to manipulate the search results.
The more in-depth one knows the "rules" the more that person will discover ways to exploit. And there's been a lot of talk lately about a newly theoretical application of unethical search engine marketing, often referred to as "negative SEO". Now these unethical Internet advertising agencies have gone past simply manipulating their way to the top and right into maliciously pulling others down.
Not only is this behavior unethical, it could be dangerous. There are legal ramifications to employing methods designed solely with the intent of damaging a competitor's website.
And yet, that doesn't seem to dissuade certain unethical Internet advertising agencies from attempting them.
Some of the practices might include: Google Bowling, spamming in your competition's name, fake copyright complaints or fake duplicate content, and even click fraud. These things are designed to hurt a website in different ways, and an ethical Internet advertising agency will never employ them. They understand that you are more likely to enjoy success when you employ ethical Internet marketing techniques and advertising best practices. The right company understands that unethical practices are likely to do more harm than good.
Google Bowling is currently the topic of discussion since it has received some mainstream press. Basically the practice involves black-hat SEO – not for your own website, but for your competitor's. As search engines evolved, they began doing more than just ignoring or devaluing certain SEO practices. They started penalizing websites for questionable behavior. So the agencies of questionable ethics reasoned that if those penalties could harm them, then they could harm their competition by doing it for them.
In this case, the practice is link spamming. If a site gets too many links too fast then Google pronounced that an unnatural growth and buries the site in the results or even outright bans them. So the theory goes: what if there's a site out there that you don't think you can beat by normal methods? Why not convince the search engines to knock them down a peg or two so you can?
It's an interesting theory, but so far it seems to be just that. A theory. Not only is it unproven, but Google flat out says that it's almost impossible for competitors to harm your ranking or have you removed from their index.
But when you think about it, it ought to work.
Luckily "ought tos" aren't going to take the unethical marketing agencies very far. Imagine dropping 500,000 links to your competitor in a weekend in hopes of framing them for link spamming (trying to Google Bowl them). In theory, anyone who gets that kind of linking in such a short period should suffer the penalty and possibly get banned. Whether they do it themselves or you do it for them, shouldn't the search engines see it as the same thing?
But what if you do it wrong? What if your work isn't noticed immediately? Then all you've done is hand your competition hundreds of thousands of links, pushing them even further out of range and more untouchable.
The ethical Internet advertising agency can help you reach the top of the search engine results and stay there. They can also help protect you from the agencies who might try using these practices against you.
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Andy Eliason |
2007-10-30 |
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Title: The Ethical Internet Advertising Agency
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An Internet advertising agency has a number of options open to them, both ethical and non-ethical, when it comes to promoting your website. As search engines continue to evolve their algorithms, marketing companies work to keep up. There are numerous "rules" an Internet advertising agency can follow to build solid, lasting rankings, or – and this is the scary part – they can use those rules to attempt to manipulate the search results. The more in-depth one knows the "rules" the more that person will discover ways to exploit. And there's been a lot of talk lately about a newly theoretical application of unethical search engine marketing, often referred to as "negative SEO". Now these unethical Internet advertising agencies have gone past simply manipulating their way to the top and right into maliciously pulling others down. Not only is this behavior unethical, it could be dangerous. There are legal ramifications to employing methods designed solely with the intent of damaging a competitor's website. And yet, that doesn't seem to dissuade certain unethical Internet advertising agencies from attempting them. Some of the practices might include: Google Bowling, spamming in your competition's name, fake copyright complaints or fake duplicate content, and even click fraud. These things are designed to hurt a website in different ways, and an ethical Internet advertising agency will never employ them. They understand that you are more likely to enjoy success when you employ ethical Internet marketing techniques and advertising best practices. The right company understands that unethical practices are likely to do more harm than good. Google Bowling is currently the topic of discussion since it has received some mainstream press. Basically the practice involves black-hat SEO – not for your own website, but for your competitor's. As search engines evolved, they began doing more than just ignoring or devaluing certain SEO practices. They started penalizing websites for questionable behavior. So the agencies of questionable ethics reasoned that if those penalties could harm them, then they could harm their competition by doing it for them. In this case, the practice is link spamming. If a site gets too many links too fast then Google pronounced that an unnatural growth and buries the site in the results or even outright bans them. So the theory goes: what if there's a site out there that you don't think you can beat by normal methods? Why not convince the search engines to knock them down a peg or two so you can? It's an interesting theory, but so far it seems to be just that. A theory. Not only is it unproven, but Google flat out says that it's almost impossible for competitors to harm your ranking or have you removed from their index. But when you think about it, it ought to work. Luckily "ought tos" aren't going to take the unethical marketing agencies very far. Imagine dropping 500,000 links to your competitor in a weekend in hopes of framing them for link spamming (trying to Google Bowl them). In theory, anyone who gets that kind of linking in such a short period should suffer the penalty and possibly get banned. Whether they do it themselves or you do it for them, shouldn't the search engines see it as the same thing? But what if you do it wrong? What if your work isn't noticed immediately? Then all you've done is hand your competition hundreds of thousands of links, pushing them even further out of range and more untouchable. The ethical Internet advertising agency can help you reach the top of the search engine results and stay there. They can also help protect you from the agencies who might try using these practices against you. Andy Eliason is a writer at Main10, an Internet Marketing and Development company. Visit their website if you'd like to find out more about what it takes to be an ethical Internet advertising agency.
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Chuck Gallagher |
2007-01-06 |
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Title: That First Bite: Success No Matter The Cost - A Real Ethics Issue?
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It seems that some things never change. As adults, we hear through the media, about the lack of ethics and the consequences of ethical lapses. They capture attention in almost every venue – from broadcast to internet to print. Whether we hear about Enron, HP, or Martha Stewart – one thing we know is that the choices we make can have a profound impact on the consequences we live. Not only are adults aware of the ethical issues in our country, but youth are also bombarded with choices and ethical issues. Recently a “Teen Ethics Poll” was released by JA Worldwide™ (Junior Achievement) and Deloitte & Touche USA LLP (Deloitte). The results, featured on the Junior Achievement web site (www.ja.org) and reported in an article in USA Today (www.usatoday.com) dated December 6, 2006, support the concept that unethical decisions start at an early age. “The notion that large numbers of students feel somewhat unprepared to make ethical decisions, coupled with the fact that they feel pressure to succeed at all costs, is a troubling combination,” said David Miller Ph.D., Executive Director of the Yale Center for Faith and Culture and Assistant Professor (Adjunct) of Business Ethics. Published survey results showed that 69% of teens admitted to lying, 34% to illegally downloading music, and 22% to cheating on tests. The most interesting statistic in the survey and perhaps the most telling is that 81% of the students who feel significant pressure to succeed believe that the pressure will either remain the same or increase as they enter the workforce. With statistics like this, it’s no wonder that ethical issues and ethics conferences abound. In presentations I made over ten years ago to students in the same age group as the Junior Achievement study, the students reported extreme pressure to achieve and a willingness to compromise their integrity and ethical choices. Many said, in their own unique way, that they would take their chances on negative consequences from unethical choices. Their reality was - immediate gratification - outweighed the potential consequences of their choices. Two of the students reported to me in the 1996 presentation series that look, stature, and the illusion of success was critical in the eyes of their peers. In fact, one stated that, “You do what ever it takes to get ahead. If I can get ahead now, then I’ll have a greater chance in the business world later.” When asked if that meant compromising his integrity, his response was “Success trumps all – What ever it takes.” How well we adults have taught our children! The challenge for our young people today is once you take that first bite, once you engage in unethical behavior, it’s hard to undo the consequences. It takes courage to admit to your unethical behavior. There are few models for moving beyond negative consequences. If we expect our future leaders of tomorrow to function in a more ethical manner than the current business leaders of today, then we must take the initiative to train decision making in an environment of integrity and ethics. Ethical behavior, like most behavior, is learned. If you refer back to the survey and the comments from the youth in my seminar, it is very clear that they are learning these perceptions of ethics everywhere. Young people are bombarded through the different media outlets. Television shows and movies constantly revere the one who gets ahead regardless of who he/she offends in the process. Everywhere they turn, they are observing people, real or fictional, moving to the top by choices they make. Unfortunately, they do not observe that there are negative consequences to those choices. What happens in the home? Some cheat on their taxes. Others behave in ways that demonstrate success is measured by looks, money. Many parents live on credit to impress the external world and then are unable to pay the debt. Yes, the youth are surrounded by many different messages regarding ethical choices. Over the years, through many speaking engagements, I have found that young people thirst for reasons to do the right thing. Yet, society places a premium on success at all costs, which fosters an environment for inevitable ethical dilemmas. It’s time we take responsibility as adults to reverse the trends supported by this current study. The Choices Foundation provides a forum through which ethical behavior is taught to high school and college students during their formative years. Perhaps, if a young person is exposed to real life effects of unethical behavior, he or she will have a frame of reference as to the real negative consequences that can follow. For information on the Choices Foundation (a non-profit organization) and the presentations on ethics given by Chuck Gallagher, contact Chuck at chuck@chuckgallagher.com or visit http://www.chuckgallagher.com.
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Steven Schultz |
2008-01-13 |
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Title: The Facts Regarding Ethical Issues with Alternative Therapies
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No matter what the ailment, condition, or disease, every patient has the right to choice regarding the treatment, even if this means not taking treatment that could be life saving. There are always concerns with having any treatment or taking any medications. Ethical issues with alternative therapies do not necessarily have to be looked at in a negative way. In fact ethical issues regarding alternative therapies should be thought about as merely just another piece of information to allow patients to make their mind up about the treatments. Any information, positive or negative, surrounding a treatment is a positive thing for the patient. Knowledge is always necessary when making decisions about treatments. Alternative therapies are often used instead of traditional treatments, but are also used frequently in combination with traditional treatments. Therefore, there is knowledge regarding the therapies, the use of the therapies, and how they can affect the traditional treatment.
Some of the existing ethical issues with alternative therapies exist specifically around the area of diet pills and supplements. The concerns about taking supplements of any kind are that they are not regulated like food and prescription drugs are. They can word things differently and market them differently. However, equipped with this knowledge people seeking the use of a diet supplement or any herbal supplement are less likely to jump into taking something without doing the necessary added research. In addition, some of the treatments and therapists that administer the treatments are not governed or regulated by any national body. Therefore, qualifications are unknown or not met. With this information people can research the technique as well as the technician and can make a decision based upon the credentials that are found. Ethical issues with alternative therapies definitely come into play when people involved closely with the traditional medical system, for instance a stay in the hospital, who want to use alternative therapies. The nurses, nursing aids, as well as the other medical staff, have to be aware of the interactions between the two types of medical treatment. Therefore, the knowledge regarding the ethical issues with alternative therapies as well as the benefits and consequences need to be known by the patient and medical professionals. Ethical issues with alternative therapies are just another tool for people to equip themselves with before making a decision about their health and the treatment. Alternative therapies are often an excellent way to gain some relief from a condition or illness when there is the possibility of religious or other belief system values preventing traditional medical treatments.
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Kausik Dutta |
2007-11-23 |
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Title: Drug Rehabilitation.
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Drug addiction happens when someone takes drug compulsively regardless of the mental, emotional and physical consequences. Many people take drugs to forget about or blot out a problem. These problems can be anything: relationships issues, past sexual or physical abuse, a terrible accident, and more. People use drugs to temporarily forget about these issues and have some relief from the mental or physical anguish that these issues cause. However, this is just trading one problem for another.
There are many common signs of drug addiction that can help you notice if you or someone you know has a problem with drugs. Is this person obsessively talking or thinking about their drug of choice? Do they exhibit poor coordination or irregular speech? Are they unable to quit the drugs without help? Do they seem irritable, and are they frequently argumentative? These are just some of the more common signs of drug addiction, and they serve as a red flag that the drug user needs help.
One of the first and most difficult parts of recovering from a drug addiction is the initial detoxification. A successful detox will impact the success of the recovery, so this time is very crucial. Drug detox centers such as Renaissance Malibu do everything they can to ensure that the detox is as painless and gentle as possible.
After detox, it’s time for the addict to go on to a treatment center such as CARE Addiction Recovery. At CARE, addicts enter various programs in order to help them to successfully and fully recover from their addictions. CARE also has a relapse prevention program to help prepare addicts with the tools necessary to avoid relapsing. All of this combines to create a successful recovery program.
If you or someone you know is affected by an addiction, don’t wait to begin the road to recovery. Addicted.com can help you to find the right alcohol treatment program for you or a loved one
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Andy Eliason |
2007-11-08 |
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Title: The Ethical Internet Advertising Agency
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An Internet advertising agency has a number of options open to them, both ethical and non-ethical, when it comes to promoting your website. As search engines continue to evolve their algorithms, marketing companies work to keep up. There are numerous "rules" an Internet advertising agency can follow to build solid, lasting rankings, or – and this is the scary part – they can use those rules to attempt to manipulate the search results.
The more in-depth one knows the "rules" the more that person will discover ways to exploit. And there's been a lot of talk lately about a newly theoretical application of unethical search engine marketing, often referred to as "negative SEO". Now these unethical Internet advertising agencies have gone past simply manipulating their way to the top and right into maliciously pulling others down.
Not only is this behavior unethical, it could be dangerous. There are legal ramifications to employing methods designed solely with the intent of damaging a competitor's website.
And yet, that doesn't seem to dissuade certain unethical Internet advertising agencies from attempting them.
Some of the practices might include: Google Bowling, spamming in your competition's name, fake copyright complaints or fake duplicate content, and even click fraud. These things are designed to hurt a website in different ways, and an ethical Internet advertising agency will never employ them. They understand that you are more likely to enjoy success when you employ ethical Internet marketing techniques and advertising best practices. The right company understands that unethical practices are likely to do more harm than good.
Google Bowling is currently the topic of discussion since it has received some mainstream press. Basically the practice involves black-hat SEO – not for your own website, but for your competitor's. As search engines evolved, they began doing more than just ignoring or devaluing certain SEO practices. They started penalizing websites for questionable behavior. So the agencies of questionable ethics reasoned that if those penalties could harm them, then they could harm their competition by doing it for them.
In this case, the practice is link spamming. If a site gets too many links too fast then Google pronounced that an unnatural growth and buries the site in the results or even outright bans them. So the theory goes: what if there's a site out there that you don't think you can beat by normal methods? Why not convince the search engines to knock them down a peg or two so you can?
It's an interesting theory, but so far it seems to be just that. A theory. Not only is it unproven, but Google flat out says that it's almost impossible for competitors to harm your ranking or have you removed from their index.
But when you think about it, it ought to work.
Luckily "ought tos" aren't going to take the unethical marketing agencies very far. Imagine dropping 500,000 links to your competitor in a weekend in hopes of framing them for link spamming (trying to Google Bowl them). In theory, anyone who gets that kind of linking in such a short period should suffer the penalty and possibly get banned. Whether they do it themselves or you do it for them, shouldn't the search engines see it as the same thing?
But what if you do it wrong? What if your work isn't noticed immediately? Then all you've done is hand your competition hundreds of thousands of links, pushing them even further out of range and more untouchable.
The ethical Internet advertising agency can help you reach the top of the search engine results and stay there. They can also help protect you from the agencies who might try using these practices against you.
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Drugalcoholtest.com |
2007-06-15 |
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Title: How to prevent Teen Drug Use
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While there are many issues with teenagers that strike fear in the heart of a parent, teen drug use is the prime one. But you can’t let your fear force you to ignore drug concerns in your child’s life. Each and every teenager knows someone in school who experiments or uses drugs. Every teen has seen it on television or in the newspapers. To bring up a drug-free teenager you’ll need to put your fear aside and empower your teenager with all the positive aspects of life to meet this issue head on.
Few things parents should know about preventing teen drug use:
• Be there for your teen when he needs to get out of a bad situation.
• Get to know your teen’s friends and their parents on a first name basis.
• Keep connected in the after school hours.
• Be a role model.
• Unite your family against drugs using strong family beliefs.
Signs of Teens drugs use:
• loss of interest in family activities and disrespecting family rules
• defiant of authority
• poor work performance
• negative, argumentative, paranoid or confused, destructive, anxious
• overly tired or hyperactive
• drastic weight loss or gain
• reduced memory and attention span
Though some of these warning signs of drug abuse may be present in your teen, but it does not mean that they are definitely using drugs. There could be causes for some of these behaviors. Even the life stage of adolescence is a valid reason for many of them to exist. On the other side of that, do not ignore the warning signs of teenage drug abuse.
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Chris Chew |
2007-05-02 |
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Title: Legal And Ethical Issues Of Organ Transplants
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One of the greatest achievements in medical science is organ transplant surgery. People who have failing organs and are doomed to die can now be given a new lease on life by the generosity of organ donors who are giving part of their own bodies to save or enhance the lives of others. However, there are many ethical issues and controversies pertaining to organ transplants.
Discussions on the ethics on organ transplants invariably will attract questions like for instance:-
Can human organs be traded commercially, if not why? Should a person who has already received one transplant be allowed another one? Should alcoholics be given liver transplants, where after all, it was their alcoholism that damages their livers in the first place? What are the sources of organs used in organ transplants operations?
Perhaps the most controversial topics of these ethical debates are about the procurement and distribution of human organs for transplant and are centered on the questions of how do we get the organs and how do we decide who will receive organ transplants?
Since there are always fewer organ donors than there are potential recipients, this fact make the debate on who should get the organ available very emotional and heated which is not surprising because lives are at stake.
To compound the problem, organ transplants are very expensive surgical procedures and only the rich can afford them. Poorer folks may never get the opportunity of a transplant even if they need it more urgently than their richer counterparts. Should the choice of who get the organs be dependant upon who can afford it?
Then there is the issue of not everyone agreeing when death of the donor actually occurs. Is it when the heart and lungs stop functioning or the donor is certified brain dead?
What about consent of the donor? At the present moment, a donor has to expressly agree for organ donor ship in order for organs to be removed except in Singapore which have the controversial Human Organ Transplant Act (HOTA). The Act assumed that all Singapore citizens have consented to be organ donors unless opted out. However, Muslims are exempted from the Act for religious reasons.
Which is the better way to get consent from the donors? By enacting legislations or relying on willing donors?
Since most people can live with only one kidney or one eye, which are organs which can be donated while the donor is still alive. Should the donor be allowed to sell his kidney? The argument against allowing commercial trade on human organs is that it may encourage poor people to sell their organs and even may encourage unethical syndicate organ trading rackets.
There are people suffering and are on the death row waiting for organ transplants to save their lives and decisions about the ethics of organ transplants will have a tremendous impact on them. What is your position on these ethical issues of human organ transplants?
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Charles Essmeier |
2005-06-01 |
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Title: Watch Out For Misleading Pharmaceutical Advertising
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In 1997, the Food and Drug Administration relaxed the rules for drug advertising on television and radio. Since that time, the airwaves have been flooded with commercials for all sorts of drugs. Some of them are vague, with a simple “Ask your doctor if drug x is right for you”; others spell out what the drug is used for and devote the commercial to telling you how much you will appreciate your product. Most consumers will probably assume that these commercials are honest, that the drugs will do what the ads say they will do, and that there are no side effects other than those mentioned in the ad. That may not be true, and consumers should be aware that the ads may not tell the whole story, and that they may be misleading. The pharmaceutical industry spends $9 billion per year advertising their products, and the money they spend on television and radio ads is probably the most effective. Doctors may be skeptical of a product touted by a salesman, but consumers are easily swayed by television ads that show people living happy, productive lives while being treated for an ailment using the advertised product. Unfortunately, these ads may not be completely honest. In 2004, the FDA investigated thirty-six ads for drugs that the agency found to be misleading or incomplete in their descriptions of side effects. Consumers might think that the commercials must be honest, since the FDA wouldn’t allow dishonest commercials to air. Unfortunately, that’s not the case. The FDA does not require pharmaceutical companies to provide screening copies of their advertisements prior to airing. The FDA doesn’t actually see the ads until the consumers do. Several months may pass before the FDA takes action. In the case of misleading advertising, the most the FDA can usually do is ask the companies to either stop running the ads or to change them. These requests aren’t always timely, however. In the last five years, the FDA has asked the drug companies to stop running several ads that had already stopped running! What this means for consumers is that some doubt should be exercised while viewing a commercial for a new drug. If you think an advertised product may be useful to you, discuss it with your physician, but ask if they know of any problems associated with the product. Research the product on the Internet. When your health is at stake, a little caution may be a good idea.
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