As Americans we are constantly exposed to the media through its various outlets, one of our favorites of course being the television through which we mentally absorb hundreds of shows and advertisements daily. This as a result has not only saturated our society with information, but has also consequently desensitized us to a lot of what should really be considered quite alarming.
Take Chantix for example— a non-nicotine prescription pill meant to help users quit smoking. Chantix is distributed by the world’s largest pharmaceutical company, Pfizer, and was FDA approved back in 2006. It has since been advertised through most if not all of the popular media outlets, but in this author’s opinion, it is through television commercials that it seems to make its most disconcerting debut.
One of the medication’s most recent commercials opens up with a woman who introduces herself as Robin-- a wife and mother who had been a pack-a-day smoker for 25 years. She then explains how her 8-year-old son finally inspired her to quit, and then a sign which reads “Robin quit smoking with CHANTIX (Varenicline) and support” is displayed on the screen.
After Robin finishes sharing her heartfelt story with the audience, the sign “Individual results may vary” is displayed for about 2 seconds at the bottom of the screen, followed by footage of Robin sharing a tender moment with what is presumably her husband over some morning coffee. But alas, this serene image is only a tactful maneuver meant to distract the viewer of what is sure to follow: the negative side effects. While Robin and her husband blissfully enjoy their healthy breakfast, the narrator’s soothing voice slips in the following list of potential side effects:
- hostility
- agitation
- depressed mood
- suicidal thoughts or actions
- anxiety
- panic
- aggression
- anger
- mania
- abnormal sensations
- hallucinations
- paranoia
- confusion
- nausea
- Sleep problems (trouble sleeping, vivid or unusual dreams)
- Constipation
- Gas
- Vomiting
- changes in behavior
Unfortunately, that’s not even the complete list. The remaining side effects, labeled separately as “Allergic reactions; some of which can be life threatening” by Chantix’s official website are as follows:
- rash
- swelling
- redness
- peeling of the skin
- swelling of the face, mouth, and throat that can cause trouble breathing
It is after viewing one of these commercials that one may find themselves curious as to who is truly benefiting from these drugs—the consumer, or the pharmaceutical companies? It may be fair to say that the lengthy list of aforementioned side effects answers that in itself.
So exactly at what point does a large corporation such as Pfizer acknowledge that maybe collecting a grossly large profit isn’t worth putting people’s health at risk? The answer remains unclear, as it seems we have yet to reach that point. Even more disturbing is the fact that, regardless of the list of alarming side effects, people are still going out and buying this medication. A point which leads this author to believe that maybe Luca Spaghetti from 2010’s hit motion picture Eat, Pray, Love was right about us Americans when he said, “You see a commercial that says: 'It's Miller Time!' And you say, ‘That's right, now I'm going to buy a six pack’”.
Well America, apparently its “Chantix time”. Except instead of the side effects including a bit of giddiness and an alcohol induced buzz, they consist of suicidal thoughts and “vivid or unusual dreams”, whatever that means. So if you’re in search of a good nightmare along with the slight chance that you’ll quit smoking, you know what you need to make that a reality— otherwise, you might want to consider the “cold-turkey” method.
Sources:
- Chantix. "TV Ads: Real People. Real Stories." Last modified February 11th, 2011.
- Chantix. "CHANTIX Official Site" Last modified February 11th, 2011.
Andrea Nunez - My name is Andrea Nunez and I reside in the beautiful city of San Diego, CA. I majored in English with an emphasis on Creative Writing, ...
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