From: joanna shelton [fiddlewitch@yahoo.com]
Sent: Friday, September 06, 2002 5:40 PM
To: fdadockets@oc.fda.gov
Subject: corporate "free speech"

dear person,

The real issue here is whether corporations -- which are fictional "persons"
created by law -- are entitled to the same First Amendment protections that
real people enjoy, as regards advertising. There are plenty of reasons why
they are not.

* When corporations enjoy First Amendment protections it essentially voids
the speech rights of individuals, since we can't afford the huge advertising
campaigns that corporations wage, and so cannot talk back.

* Restrictions on the advertising of tobacco, alcohol, gambling and
pharmaceuticals are essential for protecting public health.  Of all the
problems facing our country, insufficient advertising of cigarettes, liquor,
etc. is NOT one of them. ha ha

* Corporations use advertising to drive a wedge between parents and
children, and seduce children to nag for junk food and other items that many
parents oppose.

* Due largely to the assault of marketing to children, there have been
marked increases in marketing-related diseases, such as childhood obesity
and type 2 diabetes.

* For the FDA, public health should be a higher priority than protecting
corporations or their right to advertise.

* Corporations are far too powerful already.  The FDA should seek the right
balance between individuals and corporations in the arena of public health,
and not tip it further towards corporations and their lobbyists in our
nation?s capital.

In addition, the FDA should work hard to maximize its authority to regulate
commercial speech because:

* Direct-to-consumer drug advertising exists primarily to promote the sale
of drugs, not to educate.

* Although the FDA does not currently have jurisdiction over tobacco, there
are many proposals to give it such jurisdiction.  If the FDA gains
jurisdiction over tobacco, but has little power to regulate advertising, it
would not be able to protect public health from the tobacco companies. 
Advertising of tobacco should be illegal in the United States.

thanks for your time, if anybody really read this.

joanna shelton
3509 fremont av. s. 
minneapolis, MN  55408


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