The drug industry spends millions of dollars on advertising. It justifies that expenditure in that the advertising message is meant to inform and educate. The message also plays upon your feelings of guilt.

There is a stream of advertising that is directed at children, via the parents. The advertising is all pervasive and you have had exposure to it, whether you are a parent or not. The message is a sad little child with a cough / cold who is given medication by a doting parent. Of course, the child is happy and all is well in advertising land.

The implicit message is that any good parent would go out and purchase this medication and relieve the child’s suffering. It plays upon the parents’ feeling of guilt. - The fact of the matter is that colds and coughs are part of being a child. Colds and coughs are absolutely normal. And, as your pediatrician or general practitioner will tell you, the child will recover in a few days. Rest, fluids and even a good bowl of chicken soup will work wonders. There is as much placebo effect in a good bowl of soup as there is in the over the counter medication for the child.

It would not be in the drug industry’s best interest to promote the idea that the wisdom of the body will restore a child’s health. If there is a health issue, the drug industry would like you to know that there is a possible medication solution. At times, there is almost a sense of disappointment, on the parents’ part, if the physician recommends time and rest instead of medication. The child may be very fortunate to be under the care of a physician that recognizes that the best course of action is to let the body heal itself.

Catherine Forsythe

[tags]advertising, medication, children, coughs, colds, parents, guilt[/tags]