Oh, for nostalgia:
Posted on 01/10/2005 3:19:22 PM PST by freepatriot32
NEW YORK - The maker of Listerine mouthwash will spend $2 million to replace what a judge called misleading advertising suggesting the product is as effective as flossing at fighting plaque and gingivitis.
About 4,000 workers will be deployed around the country to place stickers over the claim on Listerine bottles and to remove similar advertisements that hang on bottlenecks, a lawyer for Pfizer Inc. told a federal judge Monday.
Television, print and medical-journal ads using the campaign are also being pulled, and the as-effective-as-floss campaign has also been removed from the Listerine Web site, lawyer Tom Smart said.
U.S. District Judge Denny Chin of Manhattan ruled Friday that the advertising poses a public health risk and could undermine the message of dental professionals.
Chin said dentists have been urging patients to floss for decades because the benefits "are real — they are not a myth."
McNeil-PPC Inc., a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson, sued Pfizer over the campaign, which began in June, saying it posed an unfair threat to its sales of dental floss.
The suit may still go forward, and Pfizer spokesman Tom Sanford said the company was considering an appeal of Chin's injunction.
Sanford said several million bottles would be affected by the ruling.
Pfizer's campaign featured a TV ad titled "The Big Bang" that asserts Listerine is clinically proven to be as effective as floss. The ads caution that there is no substitute for flossing.
"I think the studies show that Pfizer fights plaque and gingivitis," Chin said at Monday's hearing. "I don't think the studies show they fight it as effectively as floss."
Some TV ads that make the claim could be aired as late as Wednesday, Smart said, because they are embedded in syndicated TV shows that have already been sent out for airing.
He told the judge that while Pfizer may disagree with the ruling, "We intend to comply with it, and we respect the decision of the court."
Shares of Pfizer rose 14 cents to close at $26.44 on the New York Stock Exchange (news - web sites). Shares of Johnson & Johnson gained 49 cents to close at $63.10.
Thank god almighty t hat we have this judge looking out for us who know how many millions of people would have died from using listerine if it ere not for this lone saviour that we in america should now worship like jesus /sarcasm give me a freaking break
Oh, for nostalgia:
I don't have a problem with a court addressing something like this.
I have to say the best use I ever found for Listerine was to wash my hands in the toilets of overseas flights. "4,000 workers will be deployed"
excuse me, where do I sign up to go cross country putting stickers over the claim and how much do I get paid, thank you in advance,
sincerely,
rockabyebaby!
There goes 2005's Christmas bonus,,,being deployed cross country doing a cover up with stickers, lmao.
i stopped flossing for two days! My God, get me the name of an attorney!
As nasty as Listerine tastes, it's better than slicing my gums open trying to get floss between tight teeth. Grrr.
Try those new little plastic do-hingies (I don't know what they're called) that have about a 1-inch piece of floss. They are one-time use flossers and they're much easier than a long piece of floss.
Studies Provide Solution
An independent study published in the Journal of the American Dental Association (JADA) demonstrates that rinsing twice daily with an essential oil-containing antiseptic mouthrinse is just as effective at reducing plaque and gingivitis in areas between the teeth as flossing once daily.
(1) In the study published in the JADA, Listerine Mouthwash(R) reduced plaque between the eeth by 20 per cent and gingivitis by 11 per cent, while flossing led to 3.4 per cent and 4.3 per cent reductions respectively. This trial reinforces the findings of a prior Mississauga-based study published in the American Journal of Dentistry (AJD).
(2) Both studies compared the effectiveness of 30-second, twice daily use of Listerine Mouthwash to once daily flossing in more than 600 people ages 18 to 65 with mild to moderate gingivitis. These randomized and evaluator-blind studies were conducted in two independent research-testing facilities and were six months in duration. Designs of both studies met standard Canadian Dental Association (CDA) guidelines.
http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/April2004/27/c5615.html
Sound pretty effective to me. The judge is out to lunch.
Perhaps just as important, many people are more likely to use mouthwash than floss.
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