There is certainly no shortage of illegal drugs in the world. The U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) reported nearly 97,000 kilograms of cocaine seized in 2007 alone. Likewise, there is no shortage of drug dealers or drug buyers.
The National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) reported data from 2005 showing that, of people 12 years of age and older, more than 8% had used illicit drugs in the past month.
For the dealers, however, making a living selling illegal narcotics is a risky business. The Bureau of Justice Statistics reported that there were 195,000 felony convictions in state courts for drug trafficking in 1998, as well as nearly 25,000 federal trafficking offenses.
Being the entrepreneurs that they are, some drug dealers are opting to sell a less risky and more profitable drug – fake Viagra. Don’t fall into that trap as generic Viagra can be dangerous to one’s health.
With one in ten men having some degree of erectile dysfunction (ED), there is an incredibly large market for ED treatment drugs. There are currently three drugs approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of ED – Viagra, Cialis, and Levitra. The sale of these three drugs creates a multi-billion dollar industry, but so does the sale of counterfeit versions of these medications. In fact, Pfizer, manufacturer of Viagra, claims that it loses nearly $2 billion each year to the counterfeit version of Viagra.
The sale of counterfeit Viagra is much more profitable for drug dealers than the sale of, say, cocaine. According to the European Alliance for Access to Safe Medicines (EAASM), the sale of counterfeit Viagra is roughly 2,000 times more profitable than the sale of cocaine. Additionally, the penalties for dealers who get caught selling counterfeit Viagra are less severe than those for dealers selling other illegal drugs.
Erectile dysfunction drugs are readily available for purchase on the internet. A large number of online retailers sell counterfeit Viagra under the guise of “generic Viagra.” With Pfizer holding the patent on Viagra, any “generic” version of the drug is illegal. “Generic” Viagra is also potentially dangerous, as the actual ingredients of the pills are unknown and unregulated. In fact, recent reports from Singapore cited counterfeit impotence drugs as responsible for the death of four men.
With a substantially higher profit margin, less risk, and easier access to buyers (internet), it’s not surprising that dealers are dumping cocaine and pushing counterfeit Viagra instead. However, this trend has not escaped the attention of several organizations, including the FDA, the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA), Health Distribution Management Association (HDMA), and the National Association of Chain Drug Stores (NACDS). All are actively working against the booming pharmaceutical counterfeiting industry.
Still, the lure of selling counterfeit Viagra instead of illegal narcotics like cocaine is strong for many dealers, which leads the Center for Medicine in the Public Interest to project that the counterfeit medication industry will become a $75 billion a year industry by 2010.
What are your thoughts on drug dealers selling Viagra? At edrugstore.md, we strive to provide educational articles and informative information on the latest drug news. eDrugstore.md only promotes authentic Viagra online, where consumers must provide our physician with their complete medical history in order to be considered for a prescription of Viagra.
