Viagra's Greatest Hits, Volume I: A Mix of Anecdotes (Update1)
Bloomberg News
June 25, 1998, 12:25 p.m. PT
Viagra's Greatest Hits, Volume I: A Mix of Anecdotes (Update1)
New York, June 25 (Bloomberg) -- Viagra has spawned odd
tales of human lust almost as fast as it has generated sales for
maker Pfizer Inc.
From the case of the 36-hour erection in Spain to
mysteriously disappearing Viagra pills in the Israeli parliament,
the impotence drug is bringing out the strange side of human
nature.
The following is a far-from-exhaustive collection of odd
Viagra stories from around the world:
Long-Lasting Effect
A 50-year-old Dutch tourist checked himself into a Spanish
hospital after he said Viagra caused a 36-hour erection, Agence
France Presse reported, citing Spanish newspapers. Doctors said
the man wasn't impotent but took the drug simply to improve his
performance in bed. He was released after a night in the hospital
cured the problem.
Viagra Philanthropy
Alan ''Ace'' Greenberg, chairman of Wall street firm Bear
Stearns Cos., donated $1 million to treat elderly men who cannot
afford the drug, the New York Times reported. The 70-year-old
financier gave the money to the Hospital for Special Surgery in
Manhattan, telling the Times, ''I think it's something that will
give a lot of pleasure to a lot of people.'' Greenberg said he
made the donation after reading that some insurers refused to pay
for Viagra prescriptions, which cost between $8 and $10 a pill.
Knesset Theft
After a debate on Viagra in the Israeli parliament, a doctor
who brought in eight pills to show interested members and
journalists discovered that four of the pills were missing. The
pills could not be found, though a thorough search was conducted,
Agence France Presse reported, citing the Israeli Maariv
newspaper.
Put on the Shades
One of the unfortunate, or fortunate, side effects of Viagra
is a slight visual hallucination making the world appear blue.
BluBlocker Corp., a Nevada-based sunglasses manufacturer, says
it solved this problem. Testing its BluBlocker sunglasses on
Viagra patients, the company said it found they eliminated the
side effect. The company plans to release a new model of
sunglasses later this year called ''BluBlocker Viagra.''
Sexual Savage
A 35-year-old Lebanese woman told police her 59-year-old
husband became a sexual ''savage'' after popping three Viagra
pills, the An Nahar newspaper. She later withdrew her complaint
after he calmed down.
Population Control
A Brazilian town is turning to Viagra as a form of anti-
population control. The mayor of Bocaiuva do Sul said he was
using his own money to buy the pill and give it out to male
residents ''to improve sexual relations and so contribute to
population growth,'' he told the O Globo newspaper. He said the
town needs to boost its population to qualify for federal
government subsidies.
Boosting Business
Prostitutes in Naples, Italy, gave their business a jump
start by providing elderly clients with Viagra, Deutsche Press
Agentur reported, citing the Milan-based newspaper Corriere della
Sera. The call girls charged 1 million lira (570 dollars) for
their services.
Phony Trial
Scam artists in Hong Kong are tricking people into making
expensive phone calls to a toll number by claiming callers will
be enrolled in a trial of the drug, which has not been approved
for sale in the former British colony. Pfizer said it had no
connection with the phony trials.
Love Smugglers
Black market sales and smuggling of Viagra is causing many
governments to tighten border controls and limit or ban the drug.
In South Korea, after many passengers were found hiding the drug
disguised as vitamins or dietary supplements in their bags,
customs officials limited the import to one bottle a person and
imposed a tax of $109 a bottle, according to Agence France Press.
That's a bargain next to the $80 a pill the drug commands on the
black market. Similar prices have been reported in Saudi Arabia
and Dubai.
Egyptian Hysteria
Perhaps no country has been gripped by Viagra hysteria as
much as Egypt, where government officials banned the drug, saying
Egyptian men are not like American men. While the drug is selling
briskly on the black market for about $40 a pill, the government
says further tests are needed, even though the Muslim country's
top cleric has given his approval, saying it will aid
procreation.
At Least the Headache Is Gone
Venezuelan police cracked down on street peddlers selling
aspirin tablets that had been dyed blue to resemble Viagra. The
vendors touted the pills as the ideal present for dad on Father's
Day, arousing the ire of the Venezuelan Health Ministry.
Satisfied Customers
Viagra got an early endorsement from none other than former
U.S. Senator Bob Dole, who told CNN's Larry King in May that he
took part in the first trials of the pill. Dole's wife, Red Cross
president Elizabeth Dole, echoed his glowing words about the
experience. ''It's a great drug,'' she said.
'Viagra Falls'
Viagra sales in Niagara Falls are brisk as Canadian men are
pouring across the border to purchase the drug, according to the
Chicago Sun Times. The ''Honeymoon Capital of the World'' could
soon be renamed ''Viagra Falls,'' as some Canadian men have
bought supplies for as much as $1,200. Pharmacists and doctors in
Vermont report a similar boom in business from Canada, where the
drug is not approved for sale.
Viagra Voyage
In Japan, where the drug hasn't been approved, an
enterprising travel agency is organizing tours to Hawaii for
Japanese men to meet demand for the drug, which has been widely
publicized, the Associated Press reported. Its first tour in
April saw 25 men fly to Hawaii to pick up the drug from Hawaiian
doctors after having their blood tests faxed over from Japanese
doctors.
Too Much of a Good Thing
The answer guru Ann Landers is being inundated with mail
from women saying they wish their aging husbands had never heard
of the drug. In Garden City, New York, a 70 year-old man is being
sued for palimony by his long time girlfriend after he allegedly
started ''dating lots of women'' after regaining his sexual
vigor. The woman said that it was wonderful to have sexual
intercourse after so many years, and that she loved him and would
take him back any day.
Nurse! Nurse!
Whoever said nursing homes were dull? A recent story in the
Minneapolis Star & Tribune explores the upsurge in sexual
activity in nursing homes as thousands of older Americans are
regaining an active sex life. Apparently, adult children are
objecting to their aging parents having sex. One woman outraged,
demanded to know why her mother was allowed to have intercourse,
after she broke her hip during the activity. One nurse recalls
having a conversation with a 101-year-old resident about Viagra.
Brothel Business Boom
Pfizer and its shareholders are not the only ones making
money. Another obvious beneficiary is the Nevada brothel
industry, which finds the pill to be the best thing to happen
since prostitution was legalized in the 1970's, according to a
report by United Press International. Brothel owners said
business has increased by 20 percent, as aging men are able to
satisfy fantasies that have been dormant for decades, said UPI.
Soccer Over Sex
Perhaps men really prefer sports over sex. The start of the
World Cup caused a drop in demand for Viagra, an Israeli doctor
told Reuters. Dr. Alexander Oshneisky said the number of men
seeking prescriptions dropped 40 percent when the football
tournament started in France on June 10.
Viagra Cheese
Viagra is not approved for sale in Italy, though Viagra
cheese is available. An enterprising cheesemaker saw sales of its
''cheese of the forest'' soar after it renamed it Viagra,
according to Agence France Presse. No dissatisfied customers have
come forward.
--Jonas Bergman in the New York newsroom (212)-318-2300/br |
