Source: European, The Contact: http://www.the-european.com/ Pubdate: Mon, 20 Jul 1998 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)