I think that the cost of drug promotion is often ignored as society looks for a way to control health care costs. There are several links to facts relating to what drug promotion costs Americans in this MeFi post. As far as easy ways to get health care costs under control, I consider this to be much easier and more effective then tort reform. I wouldn't have any problem with drug promotion if there were some kind of government agency that could distribute information comparing drug costs and effects independently. It's too bad the United States doesn't have anything like that.