5 years ago... Clinton to combat illegal online drugs

05.01.2000: President Bill Clinton wants to curb the illegal sales of pharmaceuticals over the Internet, according to reports from DrugTopics.com.

The US President is looking to set up federal requirements for all web-based pharmacies, which would have to comply with all state and all national laws, plus face new penalties for any drugs sold illegally.

05.01.2005: The sale of illegal online pharmaceuticals has gone from strength to strength since Clinton said he was going to crack down on it. Not that the former US President can be blamed - he's not the first and won't be the last to fail in an attempt to better police the internet. The UN also got involved with this particular cause last year as well.

Spam email has been the largest driver in the sale of pharmaceuticals - with everything from anti-depressants to Viagra and even miracle weight loss pills featuring heavily in the product lines of the bulk mailers and their clients.

Such has been the success of these products that pharmaceuticals now represent the most common product marketed by spam email.

Firms such as Pfizer have taken it upon themselves to track down and prosecute many of the companies selling pharmaceuticals online.