ASH and Chantix

By John Watson

ASH claim that Chantix is safe. If Chantix is so safe then why are over 1000 people suing Pfizer?

If Chantix is so safe, why has the Federal Drugs Administration insisted on warnings that it alters the mind, causes depression, violent episodes and suicide?

If Chantix is so safe why have the Teamsters union, the Airline Pilots Association and the Department of Defence Naval Bureau of Aviation medicine all banned their people from using it?

Could it be because the thought of a truck driver or pilot crashing their truck or aircraft due to the side effects of this drug and killing untold numbers of innocent lives weighs heavily on their consciences?

Clearly neither ASH nor Pfizer have no such qualms as long as the profits come in, if they did they would remove Chantix from the market under the precautionary Principle.

Could it be because the this drug has devastated families when a family member on Champix has changed beyond recognition, become violent or self-harms even to suicide?

Could it be that the FDA are fully aware that this is happening, if so why have they not ordered its removal from the market place?

If the FDA are aware, then NICE are also aware the same question could be asked of them, why is this dangerous drug being prescribed in the UK?

I would ask that you do not just accept my word, the following link is quite long, it is  the story of a couple who clearly loved each other, of the greed and avarice of the pharmaceutical companies leading to the death of Brian McLinden who's only wish was  to give up smoking.

It is not just the pharmaceutical companies who share the blame, the tobacco control lobby who are funded by and have financial interests in Chantix are equally guilty:

ASH declared interest in GlaxoSmithKline, 2001 In 2001, then head of Action on Smoking and Health Clive Bates  The letter says:

That Action on Smoking and Health had a 'small holding' in GSK that Action on Smoking and Health was instrumental in getting smoking cessation treatments accepted by the Department of Health in London wrote to the Chief Executive Officer of GlaxoSmithKline, protesting at the appointment of a tobacco industry representative Derek Bonham on its board of directors. Bates felt that a conflict of interest was involved.
 
The public already in 2001 had identified collusion between pharmaceutical and tobacco interests:
 
"There are already campaign groups that claim the tobacco industry and pharmaceutical industry have a symbiotic relationship that is parasitic on the smoker. I believe it would be highly damaging to the category, to the company and the industry as a whole would be highly damaging to feed that cynical perception."

News to me if the public had any such 'cynical' perception ten years ago. H/T F2C (Scotland.)

The latest news on Chantix comes from the group suing Pfizer.
If Pfizer are willing to settle out of court then that is a tacit admission that they know their products cause harm and even death, I call on Pfizer and GSK to withdraw these products from sale under the Precautionary principle  and for the Health department to remove them from the prescription lists.
Would you not agree then that ASH’s only interest in reducing smoking is purely financial?

It would appear that the TVECA certainly agree on the dangers of Chantix.

ASH do you still say Chantix is safe?

John Watson