p thoughts and notices

As per news item, the Deputy Health Officer of STD Prevention and Control Services of San Francisco (that's a mouthful!) is petitioning the FDA to re-schedule Viagra as a Schedule III substance. This petition is based on the shocking discovery that certain irresponsible users have realized that Viagra may have some recreational value, rather than being a simple medication for erectile dysfunction. The petition then goes on to establish a number of links between gays, drugs and irresponsible behavior, before attacking Pzifer for marketing the product as a “sexual enhancer” for middle aged baseball players rather than a medication for good, honest republican like Bob Dole.

And here is the same old prohibition strategy used so often in the past. Let’s first demonize a substance by highlighting its use amongst what is perceived by many as a marginal, irresponsible group (in this case, drug-crazed gays spreading STDs right, left and centre); cook up a lot of numbers (31% of gay men have used it, against only 7% of straight men. No mention that there are a whole lot more of straight men out there); stir some fear for the young people, mainly college students in this case; make it more urgent by saying that this gay drug is now advertised in magazine like Sport Illustrated, thus threatening the very core of the country’s fabric; and then conclude by saying that guys like Bob Dole are not using it for fun, but only for procreation (here paraphernalia disagrees; Elizabeth is smart and pretty, so fun she should be. Bad politics though!).

Likely conclusion: The old white guys will be able to get his fix; the DEA will have more agents; more young guys will be in jail; and the country won’t be able to get satisfaction (although Jagger will, as he is probably of age to get it through the doctor…)