If You Build Sell It, They Will Come

Young Men Flock to Take Viagra, Study Finds

Looks like Bob Dole is on his way out as the pinup boy for Viagra (and baseball slugger Rafael Palmeiro can extend his contract). The Reuters account hotlinked to above suggests that there's no clear dividing line between drugs of pleasure and drugs of necessity. We'd have a far more realistic and interesting discourse on drugs is we talked about them all--licit and illicit, legal and illegal, medical and recreational--in a way that stressed individuals' desires for self-empowerment, improvement, and the like.

Comments

[kevrob]

kevrob wasn't that creeped out about Bob Dole leering at Britney. kevrob did think it was weird that Bob Dole's dog had the hots for her.

Kevin
(but not the one who's engaged to be Mr. Spears)

[Gary Gunnels]

Like no one saw this coming. 🙂

[Shirley Knott]

Well, Snake, it is a lesson that was learned from the anti-prohibition folks. Once whiskey was available by prescription, the walls came tumbling down. And if the goose can get sauced, the gander should certainly be able to be smoked, yes?
By the way -- if it is not the ends which justify the means, what does justify the means?
In economics, at least, nothing else justifies "means" other than "ends"...

cheers,
Shirley Knott

[Mr. Nice Guy]

fyodor:

I AM old. Old enough to bitch about what the "kids" are listening to these days. All that shit sounds the same to me.

I remember a time, many years ago, when Bono was cool (War, Under a Blood Red Sky, etc). Now he's singing with the Boston pops.

[s.m. koppelman]

I have no doubt recreational use is a big contributor to the, um, surge in use among the 18-to-45 set, but how many younger men are going to admit to impotence in a survey?

[ron]

i don't know why... its not that great. maybe i'm just too young (23) to get any benefit out of it.

[Call me snake]

There's no clear dividing line between drugs of pleasure and drugs of necessity? This seems absurd on its face...i.e., I don't hear about people robbing pharmacies for lithium or heart diease medication, they tend to use guns for the oxycontin.

Of course Reuters always garners a red flag in light of their astounding continued use of the words "Saudi dissident" to modify "Osama bin Ladin" Also notable in this regard is Reuters's device that the U.S. "claims" Al Qeada perpetrated 9/11.

[Malak]

I tried the Pfizer riser once. Stayed up for 3 hours. Didn't think the cost was worth the extra 20 minutes.

[Mr. Nice Guy]

I'm still creeped out by Bobdole leering at an 18-year old girl on a TV set, and tough guy Ditka publicly announcing that his fast ball ain't what it used to be. These boomers are pathetic.

[gaius marius]

yeh, snake, one should take care not to confuse pleasurable drugs with horribly addicting ones -- or indeed pleasure users with addicts. while there can obviously be overlap, it isn't the identical circles on the venn diagram that mother government often propagandizes us with.

ron, i can't speak for everyone -- but at 32, i can see a recreational use for it.

[sex machine]

Nothing but ... hard topics for Reason. But that's what you've got to stick to in these days of ... stiff competition.

[Call me snake]

Thanks, Shirley, for explaining the entire "medicinal marijuana" movement:

1) The movement's prime driver is the legalization of "the chronic"

2) Honest attempts to build a grassroots campaign resulting in legislation or a referendum fail.

3) Plan B, find a tiny fraction of the population who claim that, among the wide array of drug options for pain management, ONLY smoked THC will suffice.

4) Voila!! You have the "blurred continuum" between drugs of necessity and drugs of choice, based on the consumer.

I think certain "recreational" drugs should be legal. To clarify, I just oppose end-justifies-the-means canards.

[fyodor]

Call me snake,

So you're against legislation with good effects but for the wrong reasons?

Mr. Nice Guy,

Oh wait till you're old, pissant!