Children see approximately 1,000 television commercials for over-the-counter drugs each year. In 1973, HEW's Poison Control Center reported 1,098 cases of children under 5 ingesting adult aspirin overdoses while the figures for vitamins and children's aspirin were even higher. Mr. Choate and Ms. Debevoise believe there is a direct link between misuse of these drugs by children and television advertising of over-the-counter drugs.
Department of Health, Education, and Welfare1973National Clearinghouse for Poison Control Centers Statistics (selected case histories).
3.
New York Times1972 (June 30) p. 35.
4.
NielsenA. C.1974Broadcaster Reports.
5.
Rand Corporation1975Television and Social Behavior: The Key Studies.
6.
SilvermanMiltonPhilipLee1974Pills, Profits and Politics. Berkeley, Cal.: Univ. of Cal. Press.
7.
U.S. House of Representatives1975Broadcast Advertising and Children. Subcommittee on Communication of the Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce.
8.
U.S. Senate1971Advertising of Proprietary Medicine, Part 2. Subcommittee on Monopoly of the Select Committee on Small Business.
