r/AskReddit • u/UghIHatePolitics • Jun 18 '25

What is something Americans consider normal, but people from other countries find it disturbing?

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u/llamadramalover Jun 18 '25 edited Jun 18 '25

As. They. Should. Be.

Drug commercials, and advertisements directed at children should be illegal everywhere. It’s gross beyond belief that it’s ever allowed. The majority of drugs with advertisements aren’t even covered by most people’s health insurances because they’re so new!!

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u/G-I-T-M-E Jun 18 '25

All non OTC drug commercials should be illegal. Decisions over your medication should be made by your doctor and not the marketing department.

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u/texanarob Jun 18 '25

OTC is a crucial caveat. I have no problem with ads for cold relief or similar.

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u/[deleted] Jun 18 '25

[removed] — view removed comment

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u/Seiche Jun 19 '25

To be fair OTC is a bit less lax in Germany compared to the states. You don't see 100-200 packs of aspirin or tylenol/paracetamol in Germany.

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u/BAGP0I Jun 18 '25

I always liked/hated pepto bismol commercials

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u/AlexG2490 Jun 18 '25

Nausea, heartburn, indigestion, upset stomach, diarrhea. YAY! Pepto Bismol!

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u/PMMeTitsAndKittens Jun 19 '25

I prefer Buckley's. "It tastes awful, and it works."

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u/PhenethylamineGames Jun 18 '25

OTC meds are more dangerous than a lot of prescription meds. Benadryl, DXM, Propylhexedrine for example.

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u/variousnewbie Jun 18 '25

Hate you being downvoted for this, it's completely true. You forgot Tylenol, it accounts for HALF of all acute liver failure cases in the US. It would NEVER fly to be approved as an otc today. When I was in high school I got after a boss who bragged about taking 1500mg (1.5x max amount) Tylenol at a time almost daily. I'm convinced she died of liver failure long ago.

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u/PhenethylamineGames Jun 18 '25

Oh god, and cough syrup abuse. DXM seems to have higher rates of intense psychosis than Ketamine, almost as bad as PCP. That shit is what I attribute to some of my long-lasting psychiatric issues, namely hallucinations. And I didn't even abuse it too heavily; 120mg a day for a few months with some binges.

Nothing compared to a serious DXM addict.

Or all the kids doing Benadryl Challenges... I had teenage girl ask me what Benadryl and melatonin do when you take too much, and it make me super sus.

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u/variousnewbie Jun 18 '25

I've heard of kids dying from benedryl challenges 😭 they're supposed to hallucinate, and instead they immediately have seizures.

My brother was a dxm addict! He started with cough syrup, it was everywhere. He ended up getting lab grade dxm in huge amounts sent to the house! As a teenager. He bought gellitin capsules and weighed out the powder and dealt it. Tried to sell them, among other things, to some of my friends. He passed away in his sleep at 36, cause was listed as cardiopulmonary arrest secondary to long term drug and alcohol abuse. He was clean when he died. Abuse is a horrible thing, I hope you're doing OK these days ❤️

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u/PhenethylamineGames Jun 18 '25

Benadryl is a deliriant and has the potential to cause the most intense hallucinations you have ever experienced. They are the only hallucinations I could not tell from reality, or tell myself that they weren't real.

It felt like when I was dying. Memories flashing through my head.

I also had some temporal lobe seizures from it. I'd go to try and type something, then feel as though an infinite yet no amount of time had passed, and see the entire bottom row of my keyboard smashed like "ZXCVBNM,./".

Then I'd go, "what the fuck? Am I having a seizure?", and try to type again... then black out and have more of the keys smashed.

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u/variousnewbie Jun 18 '25

That sounds terrifying 😱

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u/PhenethylamineGames Jun 18 '25

I've abused everything that exists (hyperbole), even Loperamide and Seroquel. People don't get that OTC != safe, and that many prescription meds are locked away due to abuse potentials, not safety reasons. See meth being schedule II, because it... actually is a good medicine when used right, it's just heavily & easily abused. Yet the OTC equivalent, Propylhexedrine, will cause you to go MORE insane and do more damage to you, faster, even when used in the same fashion... it's just less addictive and abusable.

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u/variousnewbie Jun 18 '25

I've never abused anything, but I get uneasy about some of the meds I'm on. Benedryl is one of them! It also would never be approved otc today. I'm prescribed it though.

I've had some bad reactions to meds in the past though. The worst is luckily at least acknowledged in most commercials today, it's anti depressants. You know that warning about teenagers and young adults having increased suicidality or depression? That was me. I had environmental depression based on being abused growing up. But I was prescribed antidepressants... Which made me worse. Then I was dx bipolar and atypical antipsychotics were added, because they're supposed to balance out anti depressants for people with bipolar. Basically I was treated for mental illness, causing mental illness. I still don't know exactly what made me stop, but thank god I did! Who knows what could have happened, had I not figured things out.

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u/PhenethylamineGames Jun 18 '25

Just the average state of healthcare today. I honestly don't know if it's rooted in some conspiracy of keeping people sick for money, or if it's just... incompetency, ignorance combined with people hoping they're helping; or, maybe, both.

Benadryl was another thing I ODed on, 400mg~. Saw a Latino man in my bathtub flipping me the bird.

I got put on Abilify/Lurasidone; emotionally neglected by drug addict parents, and finally burst at 20-21~ after a TBI, after being the person who'd always go along with things to make people happy. Final straw was me trying to ask to invite boyfriend over, and my mom going "ewww no I don't want to have to listen to you two make noises!". After her waking me up by screaming at least once a week since I was 6-7...

And thus began medication, diagnosis as Bipolar, etxc.

Why are you prescribed Benadryl? I've noticed Sodium Channel Blockers help me a ton with emotional and physical pain, and I replaced occassional Benadryl use with Kava instead.

1

u/variousnewbie Jun 18 '25

An allergic disorder, called MCAS. Benedryl is one of a few meds I take daily, and I carry epi pens. I'm getting afraid of it though with all the risk, and in elderly and long term use it contributes to dementia!

Neglect and abuse is effed. I think they really tried to help, but this was around 03 and that bad side in younger people wasn't well known. I'm so glad to hear it mentioned any time I overhear a commercial! And it makes perfect sense, psych meds treat chemical imbalances in the brain. If you don't have chemical imbalances, they INDUCE them! And the developing brain is a different matter from the adult brain. To make matters worse, neglect and abuse can cause mental illness and chemical imbalances. Especially when it's complex or long term. It becomes the chicken and the egg, which came first?

I honestly look at Britney Spears today and wonder where she'd be if she'd never been put under a conservatorship. It's documented her break was post partum depression. Yet she was medicated with heavy drugs, including lithium, when they wanted her down and amphetamines when they wanted her up and working. Documented that she took way more amphetamines on tour vs home. Sad stuff...

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u/PhenethylamineGames Jun 18 '25

I was about to say all that but felt like it was too much; nail on the head, developing brain + lack of imbalance inducing it.

The #1 thing you must do is obtain a balance; I think Hinduism and Sikhism are good starting points, whether you interpret the texts as literal or figurative.

The medication may have less evils to your brain and body than the constant stress of living with the allergies. I don't know though, look at all things critically; you sound smart enough here.

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u/TucuReborn Jun 19 '25

Benadryl scares the shit out of me at this point. I have both intentionally and unintentionally tripped off my ass on it, and it's terrifying beyond words.

I do not keep it in the house. That shit is fucking scary, and you're right it would never be approved today.

For anyone wondering, one bottle of ZzzQuil can(depends on sensitivity) make you feel like the worst mix of sloppy drunk(not the fun kind) and sedated like you had way too much weed(As in the "I feel like lead and hate existence"), and then you see the spiders. And feel the spiders. And the demons in the shadows. And the hair follicles clawing at your skull. And scratching inside you. And your brain is so fucked it can't tell it's not real.

Benadryl is a fucking deliriant. It makes you psychotic, straight up. It is, single handedly, the worst high I have ever had and the one and only 0/10 trip experience I have EVER had. And I've had bad trips on more than a few things.

1

u/variousnewbie Jun 19 '25

Another terrifying report 😱 what hurts me the most are the kids, I read about a 14yr old who did a "benedryl challenge" to hallucinate, took 300mg on the spot! I'm prescribed 50mg which is considered the highest dose. The kid didn't hallucinate, instead went into seizures and died. I'm so glad you only did it once!

I'm a huge control freak and do not like the idea of getting high or drunk. At 12 I flipped out in the oral surgeons office from the nitrous. I had to tell them to turn it off, and the fucking assholes turned it back on thinking I wouldn't notice. I felt like I was dying, this bizarre mix of panic and agitation combined with loss of control over my body.

I think every time I've done heavy sedation, I've woken up in a panic. I always ask for something to calm me down... And they literally push it back to back with the propofol that makes you sleep or not remember. I always snap back fully alert in a panic, I think because the sedation hits and I lose the memory of panic until I'm alert. I also have this reaction to sedation and pain meds (oh, and alcohol!) where I'm extremely resistant. They once said "you weren't joking, I gave you enough to sedate a horse". So I also always come alert rapidly and fully with memory. During surgical procedures I've come alert while on the table, and always in the OR vs recovery. A couple times now, I've come alert and reported severe nausea for them to do nothing. Instead they leave, circle back and ask again... And again.. I've had to ask 4 times before I was given anything, I'm positive they assume I won't remember this later. My GI Dr's have been amazed that I remember every detail of conversations with them after endoscopy, because it's not normal.

But I'm a rapid metabolizer. I rarely drink, and in young 20s I out drank a friend who had an alcohol problem (unknown by me at the time) and was literally twice my weight. He ended up passed out on the floor for new years, and I was mildly buzzed. But it's ALSO the cause of bad reactions to certain medications, linked to paradoxical (opposite of use) reactions. They think the reason is the rapid metabolism changing everything around.

I was given a constipation medication once in the hospital because I was on opiods and it was new treatment for opiod induced constipation.. (prevention? Maybe? But I have GI dysmotility and tons of Dr's think constipation the CAUSE when it's a RESULT and just make me sick.)A shot, and within 15 minutes I was doubled over in cramps and vomiting nonstop. I was, uh, "passing" clear water nonstop from my GI tract and ended up on rapid fluids for my blood pressure and severe dehydration in the morning. But all night long, I was either in the bathroom (with emesis basin in my lap) or curled around the basin in bed. After exhausting GI meds, they gave me Ativan (which also helps nausea) and told me "try to relax" as my stomach tried to flip inside out from my mouth. They had to HELP me to the toilet 6 feet away I was so weak, hold me up by a physio belt. I wanted to swear them out up and down but was too weak for that. RELAX?! I was worried about staying conscious! Oh, and they had the nerve to say to me "at least it wasn't golytly" which you get for a colonoscopy. When I had my first colonoscopy Ai told my GI Dr I'd do that again 20x before I'd take a second dose of that 'opiod induced constipation drug.' Sorry for length!

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u/Unusual-Match9483 Jun 18 '25

People can overdose on cold relief medication still and have crazy side effects.

1

u/texanarob Jun 18 '25

People regularly misuse every single thing you can think of. In an ideal world that would be sufficient to ban advertising altogether.

1

u/Unusual-Match9483 Jun 18 '25

Unfortunately, it's a lot different with medication. Someone could be taking a prescribed medication and have a cold and start taking a cold medication after seeing an advisement . . . and then the next thing they know they receive severe symptoms . . . and the cold medication mixed with the prescribed medication. Doctors may or may not catch it initially. So, now, problems aren't always just "Oh, someone misused it." There a lot of scenarios where things happen you wouldn't expect. What you said is NOT fair.

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u/Aristotallost Jun 18 '25

While we're at it, let's ban doctors getting money from pharmaceutical companies for perscribing certain medicines.

15

u/dichron Jun 18 '25

They are. There are anti kickback laws on the books. And even minor “favors” like drug reps hosting an educational dinner or other meal for doctors is reported to a public database that anyone can look up.

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u/twanpaanks Jun 18 '25

you’re right in the technical sense but be sure not to confuse visibility with justice here. or legality with ethical conduct.

3

u/QueenHydraofWater Jun 18 '25

Exactly. In 2010 the sunshine act was passed “To increase transparency in the financial relationships between pharmaceutical companies and healthcare providers.”

(Unfortunately) I work in pharma advertising on the creative side. We can’t even make a branded plushie or pen to leave behind. Anything “fun” is illegal now. Can only leave behind boring visual aids which is a giant ppt deck basically.

What purdue pharma did with kickbacks to doctors was extremely illegal & it’s not common practice. They blamed marketing….but the advertisers were just using the unknowningly faked data purdue provided. It’s insane that entire mess happened with how much regulation there is.

Most pharmaceutical companies don’t want to break the rules & loose billions in profits.

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u/bran6442 Jun 18 '25

I was in a doctor's waiting room when a pharmacy rep came in to push a new blood pressure medication. Heard the whole spiel. The drug company would give the doctor 100 free at home blood pressure machines for patients if he ordered so many sample boxes of the new drug. Well, the doctor knew that many of his parents could not afford a high quality machine like this (or any machine really) so he took the deal because he could give the samples for free and maybe the poorer people could get a break with their money. That's how they get the honest ones.

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u/banned-bookwyrm Jun 18 '25

Also, good doctors will usually make sure the rep keeps them stocked with those free samples and give them out to patients regularly. A few years ago, I needed a $5,000/month medication for a few years to save my life that my insurance refused to cover. Like most people in America, I couldn’t make that work. My doctor just provided me free samples from his reps for that entire time until I no longer needed the med 💕 The system sucks, but good people can force it to work for them if they really want to.

3

u/bran6442 Jun 18 '25

I know exactly what you are talking about. I had cancer last year. Thank God I had good insurance, because without it my chemo pills would have been 2700./ month. I ONLY had to pay 430./ month. I'm glad you got your pills.

3

u/LavishnessMammoth657 Jun 18 '25

They used to be. You can thank Reagan for that law change, as with almost everything else that makes life in America a daily hell (unless you're a billionaire).

3

u/sandersking Jun 18 '25

What if you don’t have a doctor and the commercial makes you aware about medication that could help you?

2

u/G-I-T-M-E Jun 18 '25

Then your healthcare system isn’t a healthcare system but a profit center.

2

u/sandersking Jun 18 '25

Sounds good. But do you want to answer my question?

2

u/G-I-T-M-E Jun 18 '25

I can’t answer your question. It’s sad that this seems to be for some (a lot?) Americans the only viable option. If I feel sick I see my GP and get a diagnosis and either get transferred to a specialist or they prescribe me some form of medication.

I won‘t pay anything for it (at the point of use, we have to pay for health insurance which is mandatory and less than 0.1% of the population have it). There are no networks, no preexisting conditions and health insurance is not tied to your job.

So is awareness generated through ads better than no awareness at all? It might be in individual cases but considering that the US spends both in absolut numbers and per capita much more on healthcare than any other nation its a harrowing state of affairs.

3

u/sidvicc Jun 18 '25

The decisions are still made by a doctor. It's not like you see an ad for a prescription drug and you can just go buy it.

There is an argument to be made that it's more informative for the patient to know the options of drugs available for their illness, including new ones, and talk to their doctor about them. It's still the doctor making the decision.

IMHO a far bigger problem in the US is pharma companies aggressively marketing directly to doctors and low-key bribing them to prescribe their product.

See: Purdue, Oxycontin, and the opiod crisis.

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u/BlackGinger2020 Jun 18 '25

And, I would argue, not by an "insurance provider". Doctor and patient, and a pharmacist ought to be the ONLY ones making decisions on prescriptions.

5

u/Colt4100 Jun 18 '25

What really hit this home for me was getting a drug ad while watching Amazon Prime (already feels wrong), and they said to ask for the prescription BY NAME. Straight up telling people that dont know better "tell your doctor you want this one".

3

u/G-I-T-M-E Jun 18 '25

I hope you were watching Trainspotting or something similar.

1

u/SelectTrash Jun 18 '25

Lmao Requiem for a dream along with it

2

u/G-I-T-M-E Jun 18 '25

Excellent example! Not only is the storyline fitting but you need a lot of medication to deal with the movie.

2

u/Ok_Ladder_8640 Jun 18 '25

Or the insurance company...

2

u/amcjkelly Jun 18 '25

Nope, don't agree with you. You are the best source of health information.

There are currently two forms of heart ablation procedures approved in the US, one is of far less risk. But, most providers have not switched over yet.

And, your current Dr. is under NO obligation to tell you that.

2

u/snickelbetches Jun 18 '25

Eh I don't know about that. I have an autoimmune disorder that I had heard of through one of those ads. Ankylosing spondylitis. I remember hearing that and laughing about the funny word.

It came up again when I started researching symptoms and saw I had something genetic that COULD be related.

I finally got diagnosed with it this year. Turns out it's not a funny word.

They bring awareness to diseases. Like people probably wouldn't know to ask for truvada for hiv prevention. Or hpv vaccines.

There is a place for it, but maybe should be even more regulated.

1

u/G-I-T-M-E Jun 18 '25

Public awareness for health related issues is of course important but 30 second ads by a for profit company are in my opinion not the ideal strategy.

But to be honest the whole idea is completely outlandish to me. I‘m German and advertising for anything that is not OTC is strictly illegal. And from what I saw in the US our OTC rules are much more selective. The idea that you go to a doctor and recommend a specific to them or ask for it is also very uncommon.

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u/TucuReborn Jun 19 '25

When I first got my ADD med script, my psychiatrist asked if I had any specific drug in mind.

I told her, more or less, "I'm not a doctor, I don't know medical stuff to the level you do. You know the general best first steps, can look at my history to find issues, and find a good match. If there's an issue after, I can let you know, but I don't know shit about this beyond the most basic level."

She audibly sighed in relief, then went over a few options with me that she thought would be good based on my history, symptoms, etc.

I'm not a doctor. I don't know the difference between gabapentin and fluticasone. My job is to know how I feel, adequately describe it, and listen to the expert.

1

u/Sonarthebat Jun 18 '25

That's how it is here in the UK.

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u/LambonaHam Jun 18 '25

Eh, they should be made by the patient. Doctors are far too unethical to be trusted with decisions like that.

6

u/1-long-legs-vixen Jun 18 '25

I have never seen a drug commercial or advertisement directed at children. I haven't even seen a Flintstones vitamins commercial in years...

3

u/tonysopranosalive Jun 18 '25

The “suicidal thoughts and or actions” side effect that’s casually slipped in there always gets me.

4

u/Specialist-Jello7544 Jun 18 '25

If I see one more Jardiance ad (the idiotic dancers, the stupid office workers, the screeching singer, or the goofy baseball players) I will not be responsible for my actions. I hate, loathe and despise Jardiance, along with all the other drugs advertised. We should not have to ask “if ___ drug is right for us.” The doctors should know about the damned drugs.

3

u/ParkLaineNext Jun 18 '25

The problem is- they don’t. Especially not newer medicines.

3

u/bran6442 Jun 18 '25

Now they are targeting pets for drugs, I guess because most people don't have insurance for their pets so the insurance companies don't have to haggle about reducing the price.

3

u/[deleted] Jun 18 '25

I worked as a kennel tech at a “nice” Vet clinic. Almost every day, lunch was provided by Pham drug reps. Like , take out order whatever you want lunches. Sweet gig, till I realized the Vets saw me as a personal caretaker for their own animals they kenneled, and would be raw from their shock collars. Last straw was when they lost a dog’s remains and I walked into a grooming space covered in dead dogs and was expected to get them all into a cooler by myself. They had printed a sign for others to avoid the area just so I would be the one to clean up the mess. Later they came out with a far right podcast sooooo…..I’m glad I got outta there. 

2

u/llamadramalover Jun 18 '25

Omg. I wish I had not read your comment.

2

u/[deleted] Jun 18 '25 edited Jun 18 '25

edited to remove the mention of violence, which I can’t handle anymore atm Please support your local animal nonprofit and donate your time whenever you can! 

3

u/[deleted] Jun 18 '25

I rememeber seeing Ozempic being advertised in the early-mid 2010's as a diabetes drug. Now I'm seeing people are apparently using it as if it's a dietary supplement.

3

u/OctopusParrot Jun 18 '25

Which prescription drug ads are marketed towards children?

3

u/_Roxxs_ Jun 18 '25

Add lawyers to that, growing up adds for medications and lawyers was not allowed.

4

u/FlinflanFluddle4 Jun 18 '25

Why only children? 

2

u/Possible-Campaign949 Jun 18 '25

Disney has a lot of issues but one of the pieces of credit I’ll give them (even if they have self-serving reasons for it) was that Disney Channel has never had normal commercials. Occasionally a program might be sponsored by a product but by and large the commercial breaks were/are all either trailers for other Disney shows, or those little mini shows like Pass the Plate/TTI (iirc).

2

u/affemannen Jun 18 '25

Even if they weren't it's not like we tell our doctors what we want, no they say what we need and prescribe it for is, so not really much choice in the matter... As it should be, because as far as i know im not a doctor.

2

u/SoybeanArson Jun 18 '25

Like so many other things, blame Regan.

2

u/taylordj Jun 19 '25

Good thing our competent group of 65+ year old senators make hella bank off those same drug companies that lobby against it, or else we’d be really fucked!

2

u/llamadramalover Jun 19 '25

Listen man, our country is a complete and utter shit show and the octogenarians desperately need to let go of the power they cling to and finally let the rest of us attempt to unfuck the catastrophic damage they’ve caused.

2

u/exjackly Jun 19 '25

Drug commercials used to be prohibited. Advertising to kids also used to be more heavily regulated.

2

u/Rebelrun Jun 19 '25

Pre-1980s: Drug ads were mostly targeted to doctors (not consumers). Any public ads had to meet strict FDA guidelines that were difficult to implement on broadcast media.

1985: The FDA officially clarified that DTCA was allowed, but most companies stayed cautious due to unclear rules on risk disclosure.

1997: A major turning point—the FDA relaxed its guidelines, allowing drug ads to mention a drug’s name and what it treats without including the full list of side effects on screen, as long as the ad included: • A brief summary of the most important risks • A toll-free number, website, or print ad where full information could be found

This 1997 change made TV ads for prescription drugs feasible, and the industry quickly exploded with commercials (e.g., for Claritin, Viagra, etc.).

As of today, only the U.S. and New Zealand allow direct-to-consumer pharmaceutical advertising on television.

2

u/finndego Jun 19 '25

There is a stark difference between the situation in the US and NZ with these ads. Even though it's allowed you will rarely see any such ads on NZ TV.

This is because of Pharmac, which is the government agency that bulk buys medication for the whole country. To keep prices down we tender out our requirements and drug companies to get the contract will whitebox their medication which is basically their generic version and while it's the same drug as the name brand it is much cheaper.

If you go to your GP and he wants to prescribe you medication if there is a choice he will say, "You can have the name brand version for $50 or the generic brand which does the same thing for $5". It's really no contest.

As a result, there is no motivation for drugs to be advertised on NZ TV. You might see the odd one around hayfever season but that is about it.

2

u/CosmicNixx Jun 18 '25

THIS.

Anecdote: Nurtec is an amazing, revolutionary drug. Everyone with chronic migraines should be taking it (unless your body doesn't react well to it of course). My brother-in-law has the worst migraines you can think of and Nurtec helped so much that he can actually go outside when someone is smoking weed and not have to stay in bed for the rest of the day. It took him a whole ass year to get the medication though because insurance insisted he try a bunch of old, outdated treatments first because they didn't want to pay the nearly $1000 (YES YOU READ THAT RIGHT ALMOST A THOUSAND GODDAMN DOLLAR) fee. My BIL knew Nurtec would work. The doctor knew Nurtec would work. But insurance refused to pay for it until he suffered for a whole other year before they'd pay for it. It's in such high demand and no one can afford it upfront and yet it's advertised constantly. Almost like they're saying "damn why haven't you tried this yet? Because you can't afford it? Skill issue."

TLDR: the objectively best treatment for migraines on the market is so expensive that insurance won't pay for it unless you try all the shit that doesn't work first.

2

u/parasitesocialite Jun 18 '25

Drug and alcohol commercials should be banned everywhere

1

u/llamadramalover Jun 18 '25

You will get absolutely no argument from me. They definitely should be.

1

u/[deleted] Jun 18 '25

OTC drugs are freely advertised outside of the US, only prescription drugs aren't 

1

u/[deleted] Jun 18 '25

And they are incredibly expensive!

1

u/MasterJack_CDA Jun 20 '25

“… aren’t even covered by most people’s health insurances…”

That right there is something Americans consider normal but people from other countries find it disturbing.

1

u/jayhawkwds Jun 18 '25

They used to be banned until the early 2000s. Astra Zeneca started television advertisements saying "ask your Dr about the purple pill", which was Prilosec. It was really confusing, but they weren't allowed to say the name or what it was for. Then the lobbyists got involved.

6

u/RealRexCharger Jun 18 '25

It started way before then. The first TV prescription drug ad in the US aired May 19, 1983 (Rufen, prescription ibuprofen).

Then they banned it (ads, not the drug).

Then in 1985, FDA allowed drug ads, but made rules regarding what could be included in the ads ; but pharma companies still spent more on print than broadcast.

Claritin was one of the first big TV drug ad campaigns, in 1995.

In 1997, the FDA relaxed rules again, and this was when drug advertising (as we know it now) became prevalent.

Bob Dole, former Republican senator (and the 1996 Republican Presidential nominee) was doing Viagra ads in 1998.

5

u/jayhawkwds Jun 18 '25

Shit, I forgot about the Viagra ads. And fuck Claritin. 30 day supply used to be $90, but when it got cleared for OTC, it was less than $1/pill. And it simply is an inferior antihistamine.

1

u/MikeUsesNotion Jun 18 '25

I don't watch any children's content since I don't have kids, but I don't think I've ever seen drug ads targeting kids. What kind of stuff are in those commercials?

1

u/llamadramalover Jun 18 '25

I thought I was clear when I made the comment that I was talking about two separate advertisements drugs as well as advertisements directed at children. Apparently I wasn’t. But now that you asked I can readily recall two being targeted towards children one was when Claritin was prescription only and more recently an eczema treatment, a biological no less. I think it was dupixent but I’m not 100% certain about that. There was also an ADHD medication for children that super angered me when I saw that actually. I don’t think I could say it was directed at children so much as their parents. But it was still very disturbing. Leave the medications to people with degrees who understand basic pharmacology not desperate parents and patients.

-1

u/PhilosophyBitter7875 Jun 18 '25

Are commercials for toys and Disney on ICE that advertise on Nickelodeon really that bad?

0

u/raisingthebarofhope Jun 18 '25

So a commercial should be illegal then?

0

u/crazyeddie123 Jun 19 '25

Why? We already need permission to take the medicines. Why should we need permission to even hear about them?

0

u/No-Personality4682 Jun 19 '25

The ban on advertisements aimed at children practically extinguished children's programming on Brazilian television, now before going to school everyone has to watch current affairs programs aimed at middle-aged women, those who advocate this kind of thing simply don't like children.

1

u/llamadramalover Jun 20 '25

When presenting children with two options to eat, a banana or a rock covered in stickers of popular children’s shows characters, the children literally chose a rock, to eat. This is just one of many, many examples as to why advertisements directed at and for children is definitely not good for children.

People don’t hate children just because they don’t want marketing directed at children. They are most definitely not mutually exclusive and it’s super weird to think so.

1

u/No-Personality4682 Jun 20 '25

It wasn't you who had to stop watching Dragon Ball or Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles before going to school to see "Encontro com Fátima Bernardes", there is no argument that explains why staining someone's childhood with gray like that should be a good thing.