When you turn on the TV or the radio, or open almost any newspaper or magazine, chances are you will be deluged with ads touting "magic pills" that will relieve you of almost any ailment you may have. These direct to consumer advertisements (DTC) for prescription drugs are on the rise. Pharmaceutical companies have spent over $5 Billion on DTCs in 2006-that's more than $100 Million for all of 2005.

Why are pharmaceutical companies spending so much on advertising directly to consumers? Because they increase sales. DTCs influence consumers to ask their doctors about advertised drugs. According to a survey published in a recent issue of Consumer Reports, doctors often accommodated patient requests for prescriptions. That survey questioned 335 doctors and 39,090 residents. Of those surveyed, 78% said they got requests from patients for drugs they've seen advertised, and 67% of doctors said they sometimes granted the requests. Interestingly, 41% of doctors said they thought patients were not adequately informed about the drugs they requested.

The influence of DTCs is creating a new pill-popping generation-"Generation Med". Generation Med has been duped into believing that prescription and over-the-counter drugs are safe just because they are legal. Ads featuring doctors endorsing drugs for depression, high blood pressure, erectile dysfunction, high cholesterol, insomnia, and a host of other conditions also influence consumer beliefs about the safety of these drugs.

Legalized drugs can be as dangerous, or even more dangerous than illegal ones. One recent example of the potential dangers of prescription drugs is Vioxx. Vioxx was one of the most prescribed and widely used pain management drugs on the market. Patients that suffered pain often requested Vioxx by name. But it soon became apparent that those on the drug were more likely to suffer cardiovascular problems such as heart attacks, strokes and other serious cardiovascular events. As the link between cardiovascular incidences and Vioxx became more apparent, a class action suit was filed against its maker, Merck. The FDA estimates the number of Vioxx related deaths worldwide to be between 150,000 to 200,000 people.

An Assault On Our Children

The increase in DTCs, should be of concern to parents. As the public becomes more "educated" about relatively new disorders such as attention deficit disorder (ADD) and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), children are being diagnosed at alarming

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