THANK YOU, RAI (1), BUT THE STORY ON THE ANTISMOKING PILL IS TO BE TOLD
ENTIRELY
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Click here for the Italian version
February 19 - News Hour, 13:30 hrs. Finally, Italian
television reports on the dangers of Zyban, the antismoking pill. It reveals that 18
deaths have already occurred in England because of assorted reactions, including
cardiovascular problems.
Red alert? Once in a while, this may be the case. Since last July, FORCES Italiana has
warned its readers about the dangers of this drug, notwithstanding the evasiveness to
direct questions by the pharmaceutical industry, and the reassurance of the antismokers.
Finally, somebody listens, though the report is incomplete. Here are the essential
elements that have not been reported.
RAI TG1 (2): "The
smoker doubles his risk of cardiovascular disease".
FACTS: This is not substantiated by solid evidence. There is ample
evidence, however, that this is not the case. See scientific studies at www.forces.org/evidence/evid/heart.htm.
At any rate, even if the "double" factor were true, RAI, by reporting the usual
antismoking propaganda that tends to show unrealistically high risks, has actually stated
that smokers have 99.8% of the chances of non smokers to AVOID cardiovascular
disease.
RAI TG1: "Zyban has been in circulation in the US for 16
years". The story is quite different, and much more complex.
FACTS: Bupropion (the chemical compound of Zyban) was originally approved
by the American Food and Drug Administration in December 1985, but it was withdrawn from
the market because of the problems induced by the drug. It was introduced in July 1989 as
an antidepressant (Wellbutrin), and then approved in the slow release formulation
(Wellbutrin SR). Another slow release formulation, Zyban, was approved for the
management of smoking cessation on May 14, 1997. Zyban received additional approvals for
use in combination with transdermic nicotine systems (NTS) for the treatment of cessation
"symptoms" in 1999.
In every country where it is used, Zyban has created many problems, including seizures,
heart disease, and death. England is certainly not the only case. While at the
moment we have no verifiable data available for the United States, where the most massive
problems have occurred, the Canadian ministry of health (www.hc-sc.gc.ca/hpb-dgps/therapeut/zfiles/english/publicat/adrv10n1_e.html)
has published the sinister figures concerning the use of this drug up to January 1st, 2000
- though we cannot explain why, after that date, Canadian figures do not seem to be
available.
We demand that the Italian Ministry of Health, who seems so sensitive to tobacco-related VIRTUAL
deaths, reacts with the suspension of the sales of this drug, which causes REAL
deaths. However, we doubt that the Ministry will exceed to our demands, considering the
power of the pharmaceutical industry, tens of times greater than the tobacco
multinationals. As consumers, we request that the Italian Ministry of Health makes
statistics on the damage caused by the antismoking pill in Italy available, and
verifiable.
What makes the withdrawal of the antismoking pill from the market even more improbable, is
that such an action would put another nail in the coffin of the antismoking propaganda,
based on scientific and statistical frauds and distortions, and that would be contrary to
the international health cartel's propaganda programme, the goal of which is the total
extinction of smoking - mainly through the massive use of pharmaceutical products.
FORCES Italiana
(1) RAI: Radio Audizioni Italiane.
The Italian national TV and radio broadcast network.
(2) TG1: News Report, Channel 1
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