A ban also has the support of HHS Secretary Robert Kennedy
of ConsumerAffairs-
Senators Bernie Sanders and Angus King, with support from HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., are advocating for legislationthe End Prescription Drug Ads Now Actto ban direct-to-consumer (DTC) prescription drug advertising across TV, social media, and other platforms.
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As both a former presidential candidate and current HHS secretary, Kennedy has consistently criticized pharmaceutical ads, arguing they mislead consumers, drive unnecessary medication use, inflate healthcare costs, and dominate media airtime.
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While the proposal faces potential First Amendment legal challenges, advocates draw parallels to the successful 1971 ban on cigarette advertising as a precedent for regulating harmful consumer messaging.
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Health and Human Services Secretary Robert Kennedy have clashed on national health policy, but on one issue, they have found common ground.
During his brief bid for the presidency in 2024, Kennedy called for a ban on prescription drug advertising on television, pointing out that doctors must prescribe the drugs before they can be purchased.
The Wall Street Journal reports that Sanders, along with Sen. Angus King (I-Maine), is proposing legislation to remove prescription drug ads from the airwaves and social media, joining Kennedy in that cause.
The American people dont want to see misleading and deceptive prescription drug ads on television, Sanders said in a statement to the Journal. They want us to take on the greed of the pharmaceutical industry and ban these bogus ads.
RFK Jr.s position
Kennedy has long been a vocal critic of direct-to-consumer (DTC) prescription drug advertising. He has argued that drug advertising misleads the public, contributes to the overuse of medications, and inflates healthcare costs. Kennedy has pointed out that the United States and New Zealand are the only countries that permit DTC pharmaceutical ads, suggesting that this practice is detrimental to public health.
During his presidential campaign, Kennedy pledged to issue an executive order banning pharmaceutical commercials on television. Although he did not assume the presidency, he has continued to advocate for this position in his role as HHS secretary.
He has expressed concerns that pharmaceutical advertising influences media coverage and promotes unnecessary medication use, pointing out that some surveys have shown that pharmaceutical ads make up as much as 75% of the advertising on some network television news programs.
"End Prescription Drug Ads Now Act"
Sanders and King are co-sponsoring the "End Prescription Drug Ads Now Act" that would ban DTC advertising of prescription drugs across various platforms.
Some analysts suggest implementing a ban on DTC pharmaceutical advertising faces significant legal challenges, particularly concerning First Amendment rights related to commercial speech. Past attempts to regulate such advertising have encountered legal obstacles, indicating that any future initiatives will likely require substantial legislative support and may be subject to judicial review.
However, supporters of the proposed ban point out that cigarette ads, which once dominated the airwaves, were banned in 1971.
Posted: 2025-06-13 11:45:34
