Americas Watchdog Warns of Eminent Global Disaster from Counterfeit Internet Drugs & Cigarettes

After a year long investigation, Americas Watchdog is expressing enormous concern about counterfeit prescription type drugs or cigarettes purchased on the Internet. The reality is that counterfeit pharmaceuticals and or counterfeit cigarettes could kill. As a result of its findings, Americas Watchdog is encouraging all US citizens to avoid purchasing pharmaceuticals or cigarettes on the Internet. According to Americas Watchdog, "the chances are good that these products could either kill someone or speed up the chances of an early death". This mentions nothing of the fact that the many of the actual manufacturers of the pharmaceutical products or cigarettes are losing millions of dollars each day to product counterfeiting.

(PRWEB) September 20, 2007 -- After spending a year-plus investigating Internet "pharmacies" and "on line cigarette dealers", Americas Watchdog has concluded that many to most of the products they sell are counterfeits. Americas Watchdog in the strongest terms possible is advising US consumers to not purchase drugs or cigarettes on the Internet. The results of the investigation were "chilling", according to the group. While the two biggest offenders in counterfeit manufacturing of drugs or cigarettes are China and India, according to Americas Watchdog, "this club is growing very fast".

The biggest problem with counterfeit drugs, pharmaceuticals and or counterfeit cigarettes is they may not even come close to the legitimate products they are pretending to be. As an example, counterfeit ED type drugs may contain gypsum (used in a building product called sheetrock), or other components that have nothing to do with the drugs actual effectiveness. According to Americas Watchdog, "the question if there will be a huge toxic batch that gets into the global market is not a if, its a matter of when. In the instance of counterfeit cigarettes, the tobacco might be laced with toxic pesticides, plastic shipping pieces or just about anything. Even worse the counterfeiters really don't care. They simply want to take the money and run.

According to Americas Watchdog the counterfeit pharmaceutical industry is currently a 75 billion US dollar a year global industry (or more). With respect to counterfeit cigarettes, its 200,000,000,000 cigarettes annually (or more -- enough to give every man, woman a child in the US 30-plus free packs of cigarettes per year).

So why do consumers buy counterfeit drugs or pharmaceuticals on the Internet? There are two main reasons:

1. Consumers purchase pharmaceuticals or drugs like ED drugs, anti anxiety or pain pills on the Internet because of either embarrassment, or their actual physician would never prescribe them to the patient.

2. The consumer purchases on line medications thinking they are saving money.

What the consumer does not understand is they are not saving money, the pills may not work as intended, or in the worst case scenario the pills or medication might actually kill them. Also the unsuspecting consumer may never receive the product even though their credit card gets charged.

So why do consumers buy Internet cigarettes?

1. Consumers buy on line cigarettes thinking they are saving money.

In either case the consumer typically is not getting what they want, and again the product could kill them. Because of organized crime, and their deep involvement in counterfeiting, consumers may also be identity theft victims when dealing with a "on-line pharmacy" or a "on line cigarette dealer".

Counterfeiting drugs or cigarettes is a massive global problem. Both counterfeit cigarettes and counterfeit drugs/phamaceuticals are multi billion dollar industries, and growing. In both areas, the legitimate manufacturers are losing not just market share and billions of dollars, they are also exposed to a possible branding & public relations disaster should fatalities ever occur on a massive scale. According to Americas Watchdog, "massive casualties from tainted counterfeit drugs & cigarettes will probably happen in the near future, given the current explosion of counterfeit drugs & cigarettes".

Pharmaceutical Companies and Cigarette makers are trying to fight back. As an example pharmaceutical companies are working on repackaging, package electronic coding and or diversion related issues. Unfortunately, these are small drops in a big bucket, as compared to the counterfeiters with direct sales to consumers. According to Americas Watchdog, "we get 20 calls per day from Internet drug counterfeiters or cigarette counterfeiters trying to sell us more product direct". Typically the calls originate in India, Canada & Central America & then the product is shipped from the source country, where the counterfeit manufacturing facilities are located, or from their off shore distribution centers. Americas Watchdog indicated that the pharmaceutical products they have purchased "now come in standard envelopes or via brand name "overnight" services". "The US Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE), the US Postal Service or the US ATF would never even notice the envelope".

In May of 2007 Americas Watchdog launched its Global Piracy & Counterfeiting Consultants (Http://GP-CC.Com ) as a way to work with pharmaceutical and cigarette manufacturers to combat this rapidly growing world wide problem. According to Americas Watchdog, "its a way for our group to actually protect consumers and at the same time protect the legitimate makers of pharmaceuticals and cigarettes". " Larger pharmaceutical companies or the top five cigarette manufactures are losing tens of billions of dollars worldwide, consumers are at extreme risk and diversion related programs or repackaging will not even put a dent in this gigantic problem. Nor will law enforcement because jurisdictional issues, corruption, and or they are too busy". Americas Watchdog's Martin indicates, "the counterfeit drug or cigarette industries are very dangerous places and if the corporations want to start reclaiming what belongs to them, they need to hire groups like ours that are willing to go at the problem 24-7, in order to establish thresholds of proof for prosecutions/indictments, or sanctions against the participating countries". If a corporate official with a major pharmaceutical or cigarette manufacturer, or the news media has an interest in learning more about the programs offered by Americas Watchdog's Global Piracy & Counterfeiting Consultants, they are welcome to call the group at 866-714-6466, or visit their web site at Http://GP-CC.Com

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