Brendan Kelly’s campaign for Illinois’s 12th Congressional District today released its third television advertisement for broadcast, titled “Jennifer,” in the Paducah media market. The campaign also introduced its first ad, “Faith,” to the St. Louis media market.
Today marks the first time that the campaign is broadcasting ads throughout the 12th Congressional District.
In the St. Louis market, voters seeing “Faith” are learning who Brendan is and his reasons for running. Brendan affirms his commitment to overcoming divisions by rebuilding his home district and restoring faith in Southern Illinois. He also restates his pledge to push for new leadership in BOTH parties.
Further south, “Jennifer” tells the story of Jennifer Herling, who became addicted to prescription opioids after a freak accident at a young age. Through the voice of Jennifer’s mother, Chris, we see the fatal consequences Big Pharma’s choice to be part of problem by putting profits over people, compounded by Congress’s inability to fix the opioid crisis. Voters also learn about Brendan’s record as a prosecutor, and his aggressive action to force Big Pharma companies to take responsibility for their deadly actions.
Chris: Jennifer, she was a straight A student until she got to middle school. I have this angel statue and Jennifer fell back up against it and it put a gash in her back. They prescribed her the Vicodin. I mean she took them the way she was supposed to, but somehow it still grabbed ahold of her. The day that she died, my mom was like, St. Clair County just pulled up. I just remember seeing my oldest daughter come running out on the porch ‘cause I’m telling my mom that she’s gone.
Brendan: It’s the huge flood of money into our politics. Big pharmaceutical companies give money to members of Congress, and Congress lets them continue the cycle of addiction. I was the first Prosecutor in Illinois to fight Big Pharma. We’ve got to hold them accountable.
Chris: Brendan has stepped up to the plate.
Brendan: I’m Brendan Kelly, and I approve this message.
Brendan Kelly is going to win his election. He’s presented a powerful message that, from what I’ve seen, is resonating with voters. Bost is an entrenched, establishment candidate who tows the party line. I’ve talked with him extensively. He’s had his time.
–It’s nice, but it’s a silly conspiracy theory to believe that people deliberately created an addiction in order to make a profit.–
It’s quite simple to find on the google information on the calculated Big Pharma marketing plan that led to the doubling of opioid prescriptions between 2000 and 2010.
Actually, VM, research has come out to show that indeed there was a concerted effort by manufacturers to present opioid-based painkillers as more effective for treating basically any type of pain than other classes of analgesics like aspirin, ibuprofen, etc. Yes, opioids have a purpose, especially in cases of painful terminal illnesses and hospice care. But prescribing opioids for routine post-surgical pain treatment and mild trauma isn’t necessary. Other non-addictive meds work just fine. The makers of opioid-based painkillers went to great lengths to present their product as MORE effective and with fewer side effects (like lower risk of liver damage). This has been documented. See https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2017/10/30/the-family-that-built-an-empire-of-pain (you won’t read this because it doesn’t comport with your firmly-held beliefs, but perhaps someone else on here will.
Perhaps this doesn’t rise to the level of a conspiracy to create addicts; but there was certainly an organized, concerted effort to get medical professionals on board with prioritizing opioids to treat pain. This was aided by industry-sponsored “research” and messaging that convinced doctors that opioids were more effective and safer than other options. Plus incentives for prescribing them and low regulation. Textbook iron triangle.
And your Budweiser example is laughable! Are you telling me that you sincerely believe that alcoholic beverage producers DON’T want to create addicts? If alcohol sold itself and alcoholics just appeared due to some inherent genetic predisposition toward to “disease” of alcoholism than beverage productions would spend millions each year on marketing to normalize the prevalence of hardcore alcoholism in our society by depicting drinking constantly as healthy, attractive, and normal.
It’s nice, but it’s a silly conspiracy theory to believe that people deliberately created an addiction in order to make a profit.
Does Kelly believe Budweiser created alcoholism to make a profit?
There’s a good reason to prescribe opiods. It’s not an evil act. ====
Ok, your point is taken, but in my view, it’s not that big pharma created the crisis to cause people to become addicted… It’s their indifference to the harm their product has caused. They wanted docs to keep prescribing, no matter the cost.
Opiods replaced drugs as dangerous or ineffective than Opiods. Prescribers believed they were better, and for most people, they are.
There’s no conspiracy here.
Peanuts kill.
Aspirin kills.
Tylenol kills.
What we need is to help those addicted. Not destroy everything accomplished. Is Kelly going after Skippy for conspiracy to harm kids allergic to peanut?
Sad story. but there’s no conspiracy. Alot of powerful emotions don’t override science.
==we see the fatal consequences Big Pharma’s choice to be part of problem by putting profits over people,==
Nonsense gibberish talk. It’s silly. Kelly wants us to believe there’s a “Big Pharma”, and that he knows how they think. Kelly wants you to believe that this conspiracy is rife with greed overriding consumer safety, like they’re pushing heroin for profit.
Kelly is nuts and his campaign deliberately creates a monster that doesn’t exist so that he can be our hero.
VM, notwithstanding the fact that peanuts aren’t addictive, your example choice illustrates the core fallacy in your logic. When a tiny percentage of the population was found to be deathly allergic to peanuts we saw institutions like schools, daycares, and airlines acting swiftly and decisively to restrict the consumption of peanuts on their premises.
–Alot of powerful emotions don’t override science.–
LOL, what science have you cited? You’ve just made a bunch of fact-free assertions.
You can start with the links I and Dr. M provided, and then you can do some research on your own. There’s a wealth of information showing how Big Pharma paid docs to prescribe opioids and how they lied about how addictive they were.
Purdue Pharma paid $634 million to settle a lawsuit over its lies.
- Albany Park Patriot - Tuesday, Aug 28, 18 @ 2:34 pm:
It’s silly to think pharmaceutical companies leveraged the addictive nature of their product to make profits in ways that are unethical, not to say, illegal? Wow. If only there were an example from history of companies doing such a thing.
Sorry, but Vicodin has been available as a generic (hydrocodone with acetaminophen) for many, many years and there is not a lot of money for Big Pharma in generics, so the whole premise of this ad is wrong. Goodrx.com shows multiple pharmacy companies selling 60 pills for less than $15 total, there isn’t any money to be made there.
Some years ago Perdue ran a huge promotion for Oxycontin and did spread around a lot of money and samples to doctors–but that wasn’t vicodin.
Very effective ad. If I remember correctly, as I’m no longer a metro east resident, Jennifer was somehow connected to the whole cadre of St Clair County officials in the criminal justice system who also had some issues with addiction (I’m trying to be generous, addiction is a disease). This should play well to those who see Kelly as part of the St Clair County machine, and that’s where the votes are. Probably won’t have the same impact as Paducah media market, but those ads are probably dirt cheap.
I remember you could always tell a metro east candidate was for real when they had ads in STL media market. Not Chicago prices, but still not cheap, and that’s a chunk of money for 20% or so of the media market.
- VanillaMan - Tuesday, Aug 28, 18 @ 11:51 am:
It’s nice, but it’s a silly conspiracy theory to believe that people deliberately created an addiction in order to make a profit.
Does Kelly believe Budweiser created alcoholism to make a profit?
There’s a good reason to prescribe opiods. It’s not an evil act.
- Anonymous - Tuesday, Aug 28, 18 @ 11:54 am:
Tragic beyond any words.
No one knows what effect (on parents) the death of a child has…except for those parents who have lost a child.
My wife and I know…the pain will never end until the hour of our death.
This is why Rauner must sign SB 336.
The disease of Addiction is poorly understood.
No one needs an opioid for a laceration.
Medical marijuana may have saved this child’s life.
The actual “drug pushers” are the greedy uncaring pharmaceutical companies…damn them!
- Hottot - Tuesday, Aug 28, 18 @ 12:07 pm:
Brendan Kelly is going to win his election. He’s presented a powerful message that, from what I’ve seen, is resonating with voters. Bost is an entrenched, establishment candidate who tows the party line. I’ve talked with him extensively. He’s had his time.
- RedPanda - Tuesday, Aug 28, 18 @ 12:09 pm:
VanillaMan, do you feel the same way about tobacco?
- wordslinger - Tuesday, Aug 28, 18 @ 12:11 pm:
–It’s nice, but it’s a silly conspiracy theory to believe that people deliberately created an addiction in order to make a profit.–
It’s quite simple to find on the google information on the calculated Big Pharma marketing plan that led to the doubling of opioid prescriptions between 2000 and 2010.
But you have to want to.
- Dr. M - Tuesday, Aug 28, 18 @ 12:17 pm:
Actually, VM, research has come out to show that indeed there was a concerted effort by manufacturers to present opioid-based painkillers as more effective for treating basically any type of pain than other classes of analgesics like aspirin, ibuprofen, etc. Yes, opioids have a purpose, especially in cases of painful terminal illnesses and hospice care. But prescribing opioids for routine post-surgical pain treatment and mild trauma isn’t necessary. Other non-addictive meds work just fine. The makers of opioid-based painkillers went to great lengths to present their product as MORE effective and with fewer side effects (like lower risk of liver damage). This has been documented. See https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2017/10/30/the-family-that-built-an-empire-of-pain (you won’t read this because it doesn’t comport with your firmly-held beliefs, but perhaps someone else on here will.
Perhaps this doesn’t rise to the level of a conspiracy to create addicts; but there was certainly an organized, concerted effort to get medical professionals on board with prioritizing opioids to treat pain. This was aided by industry-sponsored “research” and messaging that convinced doctors that opioids were more effective and safer than other options. Plus incentives for prescribing them and low regulation. Textbook iron triangle.
And your Budweiser example is laughable! Are you telling me that you sincerely believe that alcoholic beverage producers DON’T want to create addicts? If alcohol sold itself and alcoholics just appeared due to some inherent genetic predisposition toward to “disease” of alcoholism than beverage productions would spend millions each year on marketing to normalize the prevalence of hardcore alcoholism in our society by depicting drinking constantly as healthy, attractive, and normal.
- Dr. M - Tuesday, Aug 28, 18 @ 12:19 pm:
-But you have to want to.-
Precisely.
- BlueDogDem - Tuesday, Aug 28, 18 @ 12:21 pm:
Sorry Brendan. I still have you losing a nail biter. 50.5%to 49.5%.
- Try-4-Truth - Tuesday, Aug 28, 18 @ 12:24 pm:
==== - VanillaMan - Tuesday, Aug 28, 18 @ 11:51 am:
It’s nice, but it’s a silly conspiracy theory to believe that people deliberately created an addiction in order to make a profit.
Does Kelly believe Budweiser created alcoholism to make a profit?
There’s a good reason to prescribe opiods. It’s not an evil act. ====
Ok, your point is taken, but in my view, it’s not that big pharma created the crisis to cause people to become addicted… It’s their indifference to the harm their product has caused. They wanted docs to keep prescribing, no matter the cost.
- wordslinger - Tuesday, Aug 28, 18 @ 12:31 pm:
–They wanted docs to keep prescribing, no matter the cost.–
They spread around a lot of swag to get docs to do so.
https://www.drugwatch.com/news/2017/08/23/big-pharma-paid-doctors-millions-opioid-campaign-study-says/
- VanillaMan - Tuesday, Aug 28, 18 @ 1:12 pm:
Opiods replaced drugs as dangerous or ineffective than Opiods. Prescribers believed they were better, and for most people, they are.
There’s no conspiracy here.
Peanuts kill.
Aspirin kills.
Tylenol kills.
What we need is to help those addicted. Not destroy everything accomplished. Is Kelly going after Skippy for conspiracy to harm kids allergic to peanut?
Sad story. but there’s no conspiracy. Alot of powerful emotions don’t override science.
- VanillaMan - Tuesday, Aug 28, 18 @ 1:22 pm:
==we see the fatal consequences Big Pharma’s choice to be part of problem by putting profits over people,==
Nonsense gibberish talk. It’s silly. Kelly wants us to believe there’s a “Big Pharma”, and that he knows how they think. Kelly wants you to believe that this conspiracy is rife with greed overriding consumer safety, like they’re pushing heroin for profit.
Kelly is nuts and his campaign deliberately creates a monster that doesn’t exist so that he can be our hero.
Protect us, oh noble one -
- Dr. M - Tuesday, Aug 28, 18 @ 1:48 pm:
VM, notwithstanding the fact that peanuts aren’t addictive, your example choice illustrates the core fallacy in your logic. When a tiny percentage of the population was found to be deathly allergic to peanuts we saw institutions like schools, daycares, and airlines acting swiftly and decisively to restrict the consumption of peanuts on their premises.
- wordslinger - Tuesday, Aug 28, 18 @ 2:21 pm:
–Alot of powerful emotions don’t override science.–
LOL, what science have you cited? You’ve just made a bunch of fact-free assertions.
You can start with the links I and Dr. M provided, and then you can do some research on your own. There’s a wealth of information showing how Big Pharma paid docs to prescribe opioids and how they lied about how addictive they were.
Purdue Pharma paid $634 million to settle a lawsuit over its lies.
https://www.cnbc.com/id/18591525
- Albany Park Patriot - Tuesday, Aug 28, 18 @ 2:34 pm:
It’s silly to think pharmaceutical companies leveraged the addictive nature of their product to make profits in ways that are unethical, not to say, illegal? Wow. If only there were an example from history of companies doing such a thing.
- Harry - Tuesday, Aug 28, 18 @ 4:17 pm:
Sorry, but Vicodin has been available as a generic (hydrocodone with acetaminophen) for many, many years and there is not a lot of money for Big Pharma in generics, so the whole premise of this ad is wrong. Goodrx.com shows multiple pharmacy companies selling 60 pills for less than $15 total, there isn’t any money to be made there.
Some years ago Perdue ran a huge promotion for Oxycontin and did spread around a lot of money and samples to doctors–but that wasn’t vicodin.
- 47th Ward - Tuesday, Aug 28, 18 @ 4:24 pm:
Ask Brett Favre if Vicodin is addictive.
- Don Gerard - Tuesday, Aug 28, 18 @ 6:24 pm:
Who is Vanilla Man?
Apparently he knows everything (save “a lot” is two words).
- VanillaMan - Tuesday, Aug 28, 18 @ 10:45 pm:
It’s a political ad full of nonsense, but you fell for it because it told a tragic story.
- SIUE alum - Tuesday, Aug 28, 18 @ 11:34 pm:
Very effective ad. If I remember correctly, as I’m no longer a metro east resident, Jennifer was somehow connected to the whole cadre of St Clair County officials in the criminal justice system who also had some issues with addiction (I’m trying to be generous, addiction is a disease). This should play well to those who see Kelly as part of the St Clair County machine, and that’s where the votes are. Probably won’t have the same impact as Paducah media market, but those ads are probably dirt cheap.
I remember you could always tell a metro east candidate was for real when they had ads in STL media market. Not Chicago prices, but still not cheap, and that’s a chunk of money for 20% or so of the media market.