Brian Damage
06-09-2009, 10:18 PM
Washington, D.C., May 14th – Congressman Jim Moran, Virginia Democrat, sent letters today to the heads of three major pharmaceutical companies calling on them to moderate advertising for erectile dysfunction (ED) drugs such as Viagra and Cialis.
The letters, addressed to the President and CEOs of Pfizer, Eli Lily, and GlaxoSmithKline, follow introduction last week of the “Families for ED Advertising Decency Act” (H.R. 2175), legislation authored by Moran that would prohibit advertisements for ED drugs between the hours of 6 a.m. and 10 p.m. on network broadcast television and radio.
In the letter, the Congressman references the frustration he’s heard from parents fed up with the tone and frequency of these advertisements. He notes in the letter that:
“Many parents I talk with are frustrated and annoyed by the overwhelming presence of these ads during programs they watch with their children. Parents should be able to watch a football game with their kids without having to either mute the television or explain the side effects of a life enhancement drug.”
Moran further explains why concerned parents currently lack the ability to prevent their children from viewing these advertisements:
“While the FCC establishes standards that control what television networks are able to broadcast and parents have access to the V-chip allowing them to monitor what programs their kids can watch, neither option prevents embarrassing and inappropriate commercials from being broadcast into our homes.
In his letter, Moran requests that the industry:
…consider these concerns and take it upon yourself to limit and moderate this sort of advertising. If the industry continues to prove incapable of self-regulation, H.R. 2175 exists to address our concerns.
http://moran.house.gov/list/press/va08_moran/EDads.shtml
The letters, addressed to the President and CEOs of Pfizer, Eli Lily, and GlaxoSmithKline, follow introduction last week of the “Families for ED Advertising Decency Act” (H.R. 2175), legislation authored by Moran that would prohibit advertisements for ED drugs between the hours of 6 a.m. and 10 p.m. on network broadcast television and radio.
In the letter, the Congressman references the frustration he’s heard from parents fed up with the tone and frequency of these advertisements. He notes in the letter that:
“Many parents I talk with are frustrated and annoyed by the overwhelming presence of these ads during programs they watch with their children. Parents should be able to watch a football game with their kids without having to either mute the television or explain the side effects of a life enhancement drug.”
Moran further explains why concerned parents currently lack the ability to prevent their children from viewing these advertisements:
“While the FCC establishes standards that control what television networks are able to broadcast and parents have access to the V-chip allowing them to monitor what programs their kids can watch, neither option prevents embarrassing and inappropriate commercials from being broadcast into our homes.
In his letter, Moran requests that the industry:
…consider these concerns and take it upon yourself to limit and moderate this sort of advertising. If the industry continues to prove incapable of self-regulation, H.R. 2175 exists to address our concerns.
http://moran.house.gov/list/press/va08_moran/EDads.shtml