The Chief Executive of one of France’s most famous champagne manufacturers, Tattinger, has said that only one thing will rival the sales of the luxury beverage in years to come: Viagra.
Tattinger’s profits were dented by the global recession. But in the coming years Pierre Emmanuel Tattinger said he expects sales to rise by 10-20%. As the company reaps in the rewards of this surge, Mr Tattinger said that the stiffest competition that the company will face will come from Viagra.
Viagra’s profits are indeed as high as ever. The erectile dysfunction drug makes billions of pounds in profit each year for manufacturers Pfizer. With one in two men above middle-age affected by impotence, this popularity is unsurprising. Some reports suggest that nine Viagra pills are dispersed every second.
Viagra: a luxury item?
Champagne and Viagra could both be considered luxury items. Champagne is traditionally drunk to celebrate luxurious occasions, while you could say that Viagra is also saved for special occasions.
However, it is important to remember that Viagra is used to medicate a serious condition. It is not made to be used as a sexual enhancer for those who do not have any erection problems. Using Viagra in this way can be dangerous.
Psychiatrists believe that when men take Viagra simply to enhance sexual performance, it often masks a deeper insecurity, such as relationship problems, low self-esteem or drug addiction. A growing wave of men in their 20s and 30s are using Viagra casually because they have easy access to the drug online. This is something that doctors strongly argue against, though. As one specialist put it: “You should never take any medication that’s unnecessary.”
Viagra celebrates its 12th birthday since being approved this year. The drug is a household name and is featured on over 53 million web sites according to Google.
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