After a two year investigation into the murky world of on line pharmacies and Internet "cheap cigarettes", Americas Watchdog and its Global Piracy & Counterfeiting Consultants have a worldwide recommendation to all consumers. This can be summed up in three words: "Don't Do It". The investigation concluded that the "on line drugs and cigarettes could be lethal or you could get charged for something you never get". By doing business with a on line cigarette or drug "retailer", a consumer may have just given their credit information to the Russian Mafia or organized crime.

(PRWEB) May 21, 2007 -- Americas Watchdog is one of the premier consumer advocacy groups in the United States. The group has formed a piracy & counterfeiting task force to take on sellers of "on line" counterfeit drugs or cigarettes. The group is warning all consumers worldwide to avoid doing business with "on line" pharmacies or cigarette "retailers" unless they can provide credentials. Aside from potential lethal counterfeit drugs or cigarettes, consumers expose them selves to possible identity theft or paying for something they never get. "Who wants to do business with the Russian Mafia or organized crime"? Americas Watchdog's Global Piracy & Counterfeiting Consultants are seeking corporate partnerships to curb this growing worldwide problem with buy operations designed to expose the counterfeiters or their "retail" outlets. The two areas to be targeted are:

*Counterfeit Cigarettes
British American Tobacco has reported that more than one in 20 cigarettes smoked worldwide is either smuggled or counterfeit.

The cigarette industry, like many other industries, faces an unprecedented challenge from counterfeit products. The WCO estimates that 190 billion counterfeit cigarettes are produced each year in China, making it "a major source country for European/US markets".

Americas Watchdog and its Global Piracy & Counterfeit Consultants warn that counterfeit cigarettes, which may look identical to those purchased legitimately over the counter, can contain hazardous levels of damaging toxins, including arsenic. The black-market cigarettes have higher levels of tar, nicotine and carcinogenic chemicals from contaminated tobacco leaves. In other words, counterfeit cigarettes could be dangerous.

Americas Watchdog and its Global Piracy & Counterfeiting Consultants are warning consumers not to purchase counterfeit cigarettes or "on line cigarettes" as they could be a serious health hazard. In addition by purchasing counterfeit cigarettes a consumer may actually be enriching terrorists or organized crime. Americas Watchdog would welcome the opportunity to work directly with British Tobacco, the Altria Group, Reynolds American, Altadis or other cigarette manufacturers in order to curb and or disrupt the manufacturing or distribution of counterfeit cigarettes.

*Counterfeit Drugs
The FDA recommends that consumers who have purchased drugs from certain web sites not use the products because they may be unsafe. Laboratory analyses are underway for intercepted products that were destined for the U.S. market. Preliminary laboratory results to date have found counterfeits of the following drug products: Lipitor, Diovan, Actonel, Nexium, Hyzaar, Ezetrol (known as Zetia in the United States), Crestor, Celebrex, Arimidex and Propecia. All of these medications require a prescription from a licensed health care provider to be legally dispensed.

DRUG NAME
USE(S)

LIPITOR
Cholesterol disorders

CRESTOR
Cholesterol disorders

ZETIA (US name) / EZETROL (Canadian name)
Cholesterol disorders

DIOVAN
High blood pressure

HYZAAR
High blood pressure

ACTONEL
Osteoporosis in postmenopausal women

NEXIUM
Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)

CELEBREX
Arthritis-related pain

ARIMIDEX
Breast cancer

PROPECIA
Male-pattern baldness

According to the FDA, drug counterfeiters defraud consumers by selling products that resemble legitimate drugs but may contain inactive or incorrect ingredients; contain improper doses of active ingredients; or be otherwise contaminated. Purchasing ED products on line from illegitimate websites involve risks such as::

-- Fake or "generic" ED drugs may be manufactured in unregulated factories, often in regions of the world that do not share the same rigorous standards for pharmaceutical manufacturing applied in the U.S.

-- The drugs may contain dangerous additives

-- The illegal drugs may not work as claimed, or at all

-- Illegitimate pharmacies may take payment but not ship ordered products, or shipped products may be seized by the U.S. government because they are illegal

-- Web sites that distribute counterfeit ED pills, including "generic Viagra", Cialis and Levitra have been found to abuse credit card information.

Americas Watchdog and its Global Piracy & Counterfeiting Consultants (Http://GP-CC.Com ) strongly encourage consumers in the US and worldwide to stay away from Internet cigarette "retailers", Internet pharmacies or computer pop ups for ED or other medical conditions. According to Americas Watchdog's President, "these counterfeit drugs could actually kill you. If a consumer wants to be safe, consult a physician or a licensed pharmacy, rather than trusting someone you don't know anything about on the Internet." As a part of one of their investigations, Americas Watchdog ordered a sedative from an "on line pharmacy", and they were sent a blood thinner instead.

Americas Watchdog wants to shut down all illegal Internet pharmacies and assist in the prosecution of illegal "on line pharmacies" or counterfeit drug manufacturers and counterfeit cigarette manufactures or "retailers". If you are an executive or a law firm representing Pfizer, GlaxoSmithKline, Merck, Astrozeneca, Aventis, Johnson & Johnson, Novartis, Bristol Meyers or any other pharmaceutical company or an executive or law firm representing Altria, Reynolds American, British American Tobacco or other cigarette manufacturers, please contact America's Watchdog's Global Piracy & Counterfeiting Consultants to learn more about our global anti-counterfeiting initiatives. If you are a consumer, a law firm representing a corporate client or a corporate executive and would like more information about Americas Watchdog's worldwide counterfeiting initiatives, please contact them at their web site Http://GP-CC.Com or call 866-714-6466.

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