Drug Ads

Re “Drug Firms’ TV Ads Fuel Rise in Costs and Demand,” Nov. 26: We will all get sick often enough and soon enough without having disease thrust in our faces and jammed down our throats. We all have a certain degree of hypochondria, and clever marketers know what buttons to push. When it comes to health care, the hypochondria button works very well.

When it comes to health care, marketing does not mix nearly as well as it does for automobiles, fast food or even insurance. Is it anything to make a sale? Can they tell us anything that will make us want one of those prescription drugs?

This type of advertising never should have been permitted by the FDA, particularly when the taxpayers are financing those big ad budgets.

BRUCE M. BEATTY

Carlsbad