How Sad

I heard on the radio last night that the FDA is attempting to get a company to cease and desist selling “Swine Flu Prevention Kits”. Excellent, considering what they include won’t really protect you from anything.

For the ridiculous price of $199 you get a packet that includes shampoo, conditioner, soap, and lotion, all made with a silver base. The ad sounds very convincing, not that any of the products will do any more to combat the flu than any other generic hygiene products. So far, there’s been no success reaching anyone at the company that created this scam.

What I find disheartening is that people are so willing to blindly throw away their money due to fear. If preventing a disease were as simple as using a metallic shampoo, it would be mass produced and available everywhere, hopefully for a more reasonable price.

The other aspect of this that disturbs me is how some can prey on those who don’t stop and think logically before jumping on a bandwagon. Yes, I understand the whole buyer beware concept but maliciously profiting from news of a possible epidemic just doesn’t seem right to me. Even though technically, improved hygiene habits of any kind has the potential to help prevent the spread of disease overall, it still seems tawdry to make the claim that their special kit will specifically protect the purchaser from swine flu.

Oh, just in case you’re interested, there are legitimate kits available from reputable companies that contain gloves, masks, and hand sanitizer for the combined price of all the individual items.