E-DRUG: anti big-farma posters for Constant Gardner movie (2)
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Coralie,
I have been a campaigner against misleading drug promotion for over 20
years.
See:
www.healthyskepticism.org
I have very mixed feelings about the Constant Gardner book.
On the positive side it is great to have the profile of pharmaceutical
marking problems raised in the public mind.
I am delighted about the good publicity for BUKO. (Renamed HIPPO in the
book.)
On the other hand, the book suggests that pharmaceutical companies
deliberately organise for activists to be beaten and killed. I am not aware
of a single case of this. The nearest I am aware of is a rumor of a false
accusation that a highly respected Filipino activist anthropologist was a
communist at a time during the Marcos years when some communists were
killed. The next nearest is legal challenges. We have only been threatened
with legal action once but others have had a much more difficult time.
The book also suggests that activists will have little success. By contrast
many of us have achieved major changes despite tiny resources. For example a
week ago an article from our team and colleagues received extensive
publicity in major newspapers in many countries including to my knowledge
Australia, Canada, The Netherlands and The USA. We are likely to have a
worthwhile impact on improving the treatment of depression around the world.
This was done with no specific funding.
Jureidini JN, Doecke CJ, Mansfield PR, Haby MM, Menkes DB, Tonkin AL.
Efficacy and safety of antidepressants for children and adolescents.
Brit Med J 2004;328:879-83
http://bmj.com/cgi/content/full/328/7444/879
For example
THE NEW YORK TIMES
April 9, 2004
Study Advises Against Drugs for Children in Depression By GARDINER HARRIS
http://www.nytimes.com/2004/04/09/health/09DRUG.html?pagewanted=print&positi
on=
The "activists will be harmed" and "activists will fail" myths are amongst
the most important reasons that health professionals and the public give for
not joining our organisation.
Just like a drug your movie may have adverse effects as well as benefits. I
do understand that you can not change the story fundamentally. However,
could we work together to reduce the adverse effects?
regards,
Peter
Dr Peter R Mansfield
GP
Research Fellow, Department of General Practice, University of Adelaide
NHMRC Public Health Postgraduate Scholarship 250465
Flinders University Convocation Medal 2003
Director, Healthy Skepticism Inc
Improving health by reducing harm from misleading drug promotion.
peter@healthyskepticism.org
www.healthyskepticism.org
Webmaster and Treasurer, Doctors for the Environment (Australia)
Promoting health through care of the environment.
www.dea.org.au
34 Methodist St, Willunga SA 5172 Australia
ph/fax +61 8 8557 1040
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