Italian mayor calls for Viagra

Italian mayor calls for Viagra

AN ITALIAN mayor has assumed the civic responsibility of sponsoring his town folk's access to the anti-impotence drug Viagra, the Italian press reported yesterday.

The mayor of the northern town of Varallo, Gianluca Buonanno, persuaded town councillors that in the interests of citizens' sexual health they should give up some of their perks to cover the cost of supplying the renowned erection pill.

"Ensuring the wellbeing of one's fellow citizens also means making sure they have the possibility of a serene sex life," he said.

The councillors agreed and, as a result, any of the town's 7500 inhabitants who have a prescription for the drug will now only pay about $9 dollars a pill instead of twice that amount, without the extra cash having to come out of the health budget.

"We'll assess the situation in a fortnight and we'll see if we need to continue. If there are significant results, we have contacted a sponsor who is prepared to take over (the responsibility)," Buonanno said, without saying who the sponsor might be.

It was not immediately known how many Varallo inhabitants will take up the offer.

Italy's public health system will normally only reimburse Viagra for those suffering spinal problems.