Something needs to be done about chronic coughing. It’s getting harder to go anywhere without encountering someone who’s hacking or kuhcking. I pleaded with Cadbury, makers of Halls Cough Drops, to ramp up their cough containment efforts at cinemas in particular. Here’s why…
Dear Cough Stoppers,
I’m suffering from Coughaphobia — the fear of people coughing uncontrollably all around me — and hope you can help.
I went to a movie recently. The film begins and a woman starts to cough. Not in the movie, in the audience. She’s coughing and coughing for like ten minutes. Then another person starts to cough … and another. Before you know it, there’s a coughing symphony going on and I can’t even concentrate on the dialog of the movie. All I can hear is coughing and cckhing! If I wanted that, I could have hung out in the respiratory wing of a local hospital and it wouldn’t have cost me $9.50!
Is coughing psychosomatic? Can you explain what causes this kind of coughing chain reaction? These people should not be scarfing down junk food; they should all be sucking on a HALLS … in the hall! All I know is wherever I go now, I hear people coughing.
The only thing I want coughed up now is an answer. For starters, how about stationing representatives in cinema lobbies to hand out HALLS Cough Drops? Or, partner with insurance companies and run a special promotion: Send in 3 HALLS Cough Drops wrappers and get a complimentary throat culture. Got any other suggestions?
Cadbury Consumer Relations responded with:
Thank you for contacting us about Halls. Your comments and inquiries are appreciated because they provide valuable feedback about our brands.
Also, thank you for your suggestions. We will be forwarding them to our Halls Brand Team.
Cadbury has been making great brands that people love for more than 200 years. We are proud of our family of confectionery products and are committed to providing a wide range of choices for all individuals.
Thank you for taking the time to contact us. We hope that you will continue to purchase and enjoy our products.
Final Thoughts: Cadbury thanked me three times and claim they’re listening, but choked when it came to providing any real insights into coughing or how to better control it. So, like a bad cough, the problem lingers. Stuck with a nagging cough? See a pulmonologist or at least get some Halls Cough Drops. Got a chronic complaint? Take a stand and Write The Company.
1 Response to "Help Me Halls!"
LadyHawk
October 18, 2009 at 4:24 pm
Falling into the clutches of a hacking cough is probably the most irritating situation one can experience. It seems logical that if one has an urge to cough, then cough they should. Not too long ago, a bout of bronchitis knocked at my door. Here are a couple of remedies that I found work.
The first thing I read somewhere. Every time you feel the urge to cough, swallow. Yes, swallow. It takes some concentrated effort at first because of the cough reflex, but it does calm the urge. The next is good when you’re lying down trying to rest. Apply a decongestant rub like Vicks VapoRub to your chest area. It’s important that the product has the ingredient eucalyptus. Each time you have the slightest urge to cough, breathe in deeply. You’ll be amazed at how quickly the cough subsides. In fact, I think it actually works better than the swallowing method.
If you’re ever caught with a cough that won’t quit, just remember that cough drops aren’t the only things that have the market cornered on quiet.