Viagra 'Herbal Equivalent' Shows Up In Mailboxes
Letter Says There's No Risk, But Company Admits To Side Effects
POSTED: 1:23 p.m. EST January 20, 2003
INDIANAPOLIS -- Samples of blue pills touted as the herbal equivalent of Viagra are being sent to men around the Indianapolis area, prompting questions from at least one RTV6 viewer who wondered if the mailing was legal.
The product is called Spontane-Es, made by Warner Laboratories of Virginia. A letter that has been mailed to area residents, enclosed with two pills, claims the product is made with natural ingredients.
The letter claims that the pills are risk-free. But Call 6 didn't get that guarantee when it called the company.
An employee told Call's Rafael Sanchez that side effects occurred in 3 percent of users. The side effects included dry mouth and mild headaches, which subsided within an hour.
Call 6 contacted the state's consumer services division, which is checking with the Food and Drug Administration as to why the samples were mailed with no mention about the side effects.
Still, because herbal products do not require government approval, the mailings may not have broken any law, according to the division's chief counsel, Sheila McGrath.
"We are researching this to make absolutely certain, but we believe right now it's not against any law we know of to send samples of over-the-counter drugs in the mail," McGrath said.
The product is called Spontane-Es, made by Warner Laboratories of Virginia. A letter that has been mailed to area residents, enclosed with two pills, claims the product is made with natural ingredients.
The letter claims that the pills are risk-free. But Call 6 didn't get that guarantee when it called the company.
An employee told Call's Rafael Sanchez that side effects occurred in 3 percent of users. The side effects included dry mouth and mild headaches, which subsided within an hour.
Call 6 contacted the state's consumer services division, which is checking with the Food and Drug Administration as to why the samples were mailed with no mention about the side effects.
Still, because herbal products do not require government approval, the mailings may not have broken any law, according to the division's chief counsel, Sheila McGrath.
"We are researching this to make absolutely certain, but we believe right now it's not against any law we know of to send samples of over-the-counter drugs in the mail," McGrath said. Copyright 2003 by TheIndyChannel.com All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
