Viagra sold from Atlanta Shell stations, lawsuit says
Rhino-brand pills are dangerous
Drug hidden in “all natural” supplements poses serious health risks
Distributors frequently misrepresent the legality of the pills sold to gas station owners, but the law states that anyone who disseminates false statements and profits from them is responsible.”
ATLANTA, GEORGIA, USA, November 9, 2018 /EINPresswire.com/ -- A lawsuit filed in Atlanta seeks to force local Shell gas stations to stop selling so-called “all-natural” men’s sexual performance pills that secretly contain Viagra and other pharmaceutical drugs.— Attorney Robert Tauler
The drug is being sold from 18 Shell convenience stores in Atlanta and Decatur, according to a lawsuit filed Wednesday in the Atlanta division of U.S. District Court. The shops were caught selling these dangerous, sildenafil-laced dietary supplements (photos attached), and the station owners have refused to remove them from their shelves.
The products’ ingredient labels do not list the prescription-only drug, which distributors buy in huge quantities from Chinese laboratories. Retailers pay $1 per pill and sell them for about $10 each.
Using Viagra without a doctor’s supervision, especially by those with underlying medical conditions, can result in death, serious penile injuries (blood clots and amputation, for instance), heart attacks, stroke and lifelong vision problems.
“Distributors frequently misrepresent the legality of the pills sold to gas station owners, but the law states that anyone who disseminates false statements and profits from them is responsible,” said attorney Robert Tauler, an expert in false advertising and tainted dietary supplements. “It is important that everyone has an incentive to protect the safety of consumers.”
Unscrupulous distributors bring the pills to the U.S. market from Chinese pharmaceutical companies, who manufacture and package the products for U.S. convenience store shelves. The FDA regularly warns the public about specific erectile dysfunction supplements, but then manufacturers just make a simple change to the product’s name to keep the scheme going. “Our office has identified 20,000 name variations consistent with such a scheme,” Tauler said.
Houston-based Outlaw Laboratory LP, which makes competing products that meet strict FDA dietary supplement regulations, is suing the local retailers for unfair competition and false advertising. Federal laws allow competitors and customers to sue store owners for false advertising if products contain secret ingredients.
Tauler, a principal at Tauler Smith LLP, in Los Angeles, Calif., is a nationally-recognized expert in adulterated health supplements and false advertising law.
Robert Tauler
Tauler Smith LLP
+1 310-590-3927
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