The New York Times reports that Pfizer – one of the biggest and most aggressive of the Big Drug Companies – has ventured off into la-la-land in its latest television commercials for Viagra. They are being aired only in Canada so far, but Americans are going to love them. And you don’t even need to speak English to understand them.

That’s because the commercials are not in English or any other known native tongue. They are in an imaginary, specially-created gobbledygook of Pfizer’s own creation, taglined “The International Language of Viagra.”

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A recent Maryland truck accident dramatically highlights not only the deadly consequences of poor enforcement of Federal truck safety standards, but trucking companies’ ho-hum attitudes toward compliance with these standards.

It seems that an accident in Prince Georges County, Maryland that killed one man and injured two others was caused by a tractor-trailer driver with a mind-boggling list of traffic citations: he had racked up tickets in seven states for speeding, careless driving, driving with defective brakes, and – here’s the real outrage – had his license suspended in two states.

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At the end of April, the FDA showed signs of coming to its senses on COX-2 inhibitors and voted 20-1 to reject Merck’s application for the painkiller Arcoxia.

Like its parent painkiller Vioxx, Arcoxia was associated with increased cardiac risks in randomized clinical trials. Public Citizen’s Dr. Sidney Wolfe, director of the Health Research Group, called not only for prohibiting Arcoxia sale in the United States, but for recall in the more than 60 countries where it is currently marketed.

Wolfe did not mince words in urging permanent rejection of COX-2 inhibitors, which were once embraced as a silver bullet for osteoarthritis patients because they are less likely to cause gastrointestinal problems.

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Warnings are everywhere about the dangers of drinking and driving, a major cause of catastrophic motor vehicle accidents that kill and maim thousands of Floridians. But far less is said about the lethal combination of alcohol and water . . . bodies of water, that is, as Floridians get their boats out of dry dock for summer sailing.

When you picture a typical boating adventure, what do you see? Fun-loving partygoers whose attention to the beer cooler is greater than attention to safety rules and access to life vests. What could be better than warm sun and a cold drink. What, me worry?

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The FDA has recalled several brands of toothpaste, manufactured in China, after finding a poisonous substance in them. The poisonous substance is Diethylenme glycol. The brands involved are: Manufacturer: Goldcredit International Enterprises LTD Products: • Cooldent Fluoride • Cooldent ICE • Cooldent Spearmint • Dr Cool Toothpaste • Everfresh Toohpaste • Superdent Toothpaste Manufacturer: Gold Credit International Trading Co LTD Products: • Bright Max Peppermint Flavor • Clean Rite Toothpaste • Clean Rite Toothpaste Kit • Oralmax Extreme Action Kit • Oral Bright Fresh Spearmint Flavor • DentaKleen • DentaKleen Junior • DentaPro Manufacturer: Suzhou City Jinmao Daily Chemicals Co. Ltd. Product: • ShiR Fresh Mint Fluoride Paste

Diethylene glycol is a very dangerous and poisonous compound used in, among other things, brake fluids, glue and printing inks. Curiously, it is permitted to be used in the People’s Republic of China as an ingredient in toothpaste and cough syrup.

The recent National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) mandate for what is called “electronic stability control” in all vehicles sounds like great news. The Transportation Department says it could save between 5,000 and 10,000 lives and prevent nearly a quarter of a million injuries a year.

In plain language, electronic stability control (ESC) is a technology that can sense when a driver is about to lose control, and automatically applies the brakes to help stabilize the car and prevent a rollover.

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We’ve become accustomed to Big Tobacco upping the nicotine content in cigarettes and continuing to deceive the public. But now, Big Paint?

Ohio’s Attorney General, Marc Dann, has sued 10 chemical and paint companies, accusing them of continuing to make and market lead paint – even though the U.S. government banned lead paint nearly 30 years ago.

Among the companies named in the lawsuit are household names Sherwin-Williams, DuPont, and – interestingly, given the current contaminated peanut butter scare – Conagra Grocery Products, Inc.

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Noted Miami attorney, J.B. Harris, has fired a new volley over the bow of Big Tobacco’s massive armada.

We know that Big Tobacco has made a habit of targeting certain groups of people for whom they thought a marketing campaign could be advantageous. We remember the ads targeted towards women (ala Virginia Slims), telling them that smoking was empowering and, yet, feminine. We all too well remember the cartoon campaigns to teens (ala Joe Cool), telling them that cigarettes were cool, adult, empowering.

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The Florida Supreme Court vacated a substantial verdict totaling hundreds of billions of dollars against some of the giants of Big Tobacco. So, how is it that the Court showed courage? Could it be that they showed courage because they vacated a verdict they knew could be attacked by the US Supreme Court?

The Engle class was comprised of hundreds of thousands of Florida smokers; all victimized by Big Tobacco; all sick, dying, or dead as the result of smoking one of the most addictive, non-regulated drugs in American history; and all powerless against the juggernaut of Big Tobacco’s corporate and political machine. A jury found Big Tobacco guilty in the injury and death of some plaintiffs; but, perhaps more importantly, the jury showed the courage to find that Big Tobacco had conducted a despicable campaign to hook cigarette users for the sole purpose of continuing to generate billions of profits. Big Tobacco conducted campaigns to expand the contingents of women, men, and, yes, children who were hooked and becoming hooked on cigarettes. Joe Camel was a cartoon character emanating “cool”; directly targeted toward young smokers.

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According to the “Independent” (a UK newspaper), noted diabetes researcher, John Buse, literally pleaded to have the “dogs called off”. Apparently, the dogs were owned by GlaxoSmithKline and their growl included threats of a multi-billion dollar lawsuit against the physician. Allegedly, Dr. Buse had the temerity to criticize the drug, Avandia, in 1999 and indicated that he felt it had an increased risk of cardiac complications.

Glaxo took offense to his criticism and Dr. Buse wrote to Glaxo’s, head of research and development, Tachi Yamada,: “Please call off the dogs, I cannot remain civilised much longer under this type of heat.” According to reports, it seems that Yamada could not or would not help Dr. Buse. He ultimately executed an agreement not to criticize Avandia any further and to work with Glaxo to study the drug further.

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