VIAGRA MISUSE

Ninety per cent of sufferers of impotence are curable, a fact not widely
appreciated owing to the popular misconception that impotence is "an
inevitable part of ageing" ("Everybody wants Viagra", Letters, issue 425).

While ageing is an inevitable process, it is linked to an individual's
state of health.

Overindulgent and stressful lifestyles contribute to poor health and ageing
and appear to be the main culprits in a majority of cases of impotence.
There must be many men who would prefer to return to optimum health rather
than rely upon being propped up, literally, by a prohibitively expensive
pharmaceutical product.

Are we not being presented with yet another instance of a drug being used
to treat symptoms, not causes?

There is a huge black market in Viagra. When taken without medical
supervision and used as a "recreational drug", it can have potentially
catastrophic consequences.

Tony Baylis
Marbella, Spain

Checked-by: (Joel W. Johnson)