[zoeysaurusrex]

I would love to see pharmacy advertising banned from television and streaming services during certain times of the day. I would also love to see the same advertising banned on billboards. If [1]this is true, we are exposed, on average, to 5000 advertisements a day.

Pharma advertising culture has lead us (in America) to become a culture of self-diagnosers and a culture where we don’t want to be exposed to any emotion or pain. This is not to say that drugs are bad, because they have amazing uses in the world. I know many people that benefit from antidepressants, antipsychotics, and so-called illegal substances to be functioning members of society, but along with that, I know plenty of people who have been taught by the big shiny box that they don’t need to feel the pain of a loved ones death, or a bad breakup.

I find this woman’s account of going through a hysterectomy in Germany to be enlightening when compared to our own culture.

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/27/opinion/sunday/surgery-ge...

[1] https://stopad.io/blog/ads-seen-daily

[koolba]

There’s interesting information to be gleaned based on what’s being advertised. The biggest revelation to me was the prevalence of long term opioid usage.

I noticed that nearly every day I would see commercials to treat “opioid induced constipation” and thought to myself, “How many people are on long term opioids that it’s financially worthwhile to be marketing an auxiliary drug to deal with side effects?!”

[thatfrenchguy]

Pharmacy and health care advertising should be banned, period.

[howard941]

> I know plenty of people who have been taught by the big shiny box that they don’t need to feel the pain of a loved ones death, or a bad breakup.

I was with you up until there. If only antidepressants were effective for those situations. They're not. But I suspect we'd both agree that TV ads for chemotherapies are over some kind of line.

[cassowary37]

This. Before we disappear down the HN antidepressant conspiracy rabbit hole, ever actually seen a commercial with either of those themes? You haven't - FDA would shut 'em down in a heartbeat because that's not in the label.

[FireBeyond]

> I would love to see pharmacy advertising banned from television and streaming services

In every country in the world it is, except two. The US, and New Zealand, where it is being phased out, and was only allowed in the first place because the US demanded it as part of a trade agreement.