Saturday, December 6, 2008

Chantix Spam Alert

Before we kick this article off, I will get right to the point: Chantix is very dangerous and NOT a safe alternative for people who want to quit smoking. Here's why:

Top 10 Biggest Medical Stories of 2008 (#4: Chantix's Deadly Side Effects)
FDA Official Video: Warning of Chantix and Suicide
Chantix Label Updated To Warn Of Suicide Risk
Chantix an Antidepressant or a Source of Suicidal Thoughts?
Chantix Suicide a Real Possibility
Widow Sues Pfizer Over Chantix Suicide
Chantix: Miracle Drug Or Dangerous Problem?



Now, you are about to discover just how hard Big Pharma (or their minions) is willing to work to get you to take their drugs... in this case the anti-smoking medication Chantix. What follows here is an analysis and description of what can only be viewed as outright deception (as well as what we have come to know as "spamming").



Do a quick Google search for "Chris James" and Chantix, and you'll find the results quite interesting. This seemingly innocuous blogger appears to have made the same exact post about Chantix (occasionally altered slightly) hundreds and hundreds of times.

Here are some examples:

Chantix, is it really a magic pill? (this is a supposed "acne treatment" blog)
Is Chantix all it claims to be?
Chantix, is it really a magic pill? (this one has a prominent link for penis enlargement)
Is Chantix really a wonder drug?
Is Chantix all it claims to be? (this is a "weight loss" blog)
Is Chantix all it claims to be?
Chantix, is it really a magic pill?
Is Chantix all it claims to be?

These, and hundreds of others, are pretty much the exact same story.

Since smoking cessation is the focus of my practice, and I want to stay informed of the most current news developments in the industry, I have taken advantage of what are known as Google Alerts, which allow you to receive regular updates directly from Google via email on any search you choose (ex. "chantix").

As I monitored the alerts, I began to notice the exact same article - written by the mysterious "Chris James" - appearing over and over again, yet always on different sites. Upon closer inspection, I came to notice that not only were these articles nearly word-for-word identical, the websites/blogs that hosted them weren't actually "real"... meaning, if you click on other articles or links on any of the sites, you'll find generic entries filled with misspellings and grammatical errors.

One of these posts caught my attention because it's on a website named "conversationalhypnotherapy.com." One article I clicked begins as such:

"Directed conversation is done to induce hypnosis in people. It is called a conversationally hypnosis."

Huh??

Later in the article...

"He must submit some questions to let the patient more aware of the things. As an example, “If you are a sole human on the Earth, how it will be like?”

These sentences make absolutely no sense whatsoever. Even if the omitted words were replaced, the sentences would have no intellectual value. I could go on and list more examples, but I'll save you the time. It's clear that these articles were never meant to be read.

They list authors who do not exist... when links are clicked for their websites (example below: www.effective-hypnotherapy.com), you are directed to a page like this:


Clearly, this website does not exist.

Now, the sheer magnitude of this gargantuan effort on behalf of Chantix (or whoever) should stop you in your tracks. Here are the facts:
  • One very pro-Chantix article is being posted hundreds of times all over the internet.
  • The author is attempting to portray himself as an impartial blogger/consumer.
  • Entire websites are being created to make this one article appear legitimate.
  • These websites contain links to other sites that do not exist.
  • The authors of the articles appearing on these websites do not actually exist.
  • Chantix is being marketed by any means necessary.
Here is the point: Chantix is currently being taken by more than 8 million people worldwide. The profits are in the billions. They market Chantix to you via TV commercials with a cute little turtle.



Now, having realized that internet blogs and articles can reach millions more potential customers, they have resorted to the most hated of all marketing ploys - spamming. They deceptively post the same exact article on hundreds of fake blogs all over the internet in the hopes that someone will click on the article and view it as an honest opinion from an individual.

So, who is "they?" Well, all you have to do is ask "who benefits?" Who benefits from you taking Chantix? Well, Pfizer, of course, as well as others who might make a profit from being middle men.



Here is a company facing lawsuit after lawsuit for the damaging effects of its drugs, now promoting a drug that in 2008 has been linked to seizures, violent accidents, depression and numerous cases of suicide. Heck, these lawsuits are so numerous, a quick internet search will show dozens of law firms that actually specialize in lawsuits for users/victims of Chantix.

When deciding what method to use in order to stop smoking, you have to ask yourself - Who is pushing me to use this particular method? What kind of individual is this? Can this person or organization be trusted? Does this person actually exist?

I've always made it clear on this blog that hypnosis is not the answer for everyone, and it in fact is not a magic pill. However, there are no deadly or harmful side-effects to using hypnosis... none whatsoever. Furthermore, the average hypnotherapist doesn't have a fraction of the budget Pfizer has... or the moral ambiguity... that allows it to go to absurd lengths to get anyone and everyone to use its product.

So go do a little search for the mysterious Chris James and see for yourself.

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