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News

Just Say No: Kitson Might Be Sued Over Drug-Glorifying T-Shirts

xanax_kitson.jpg
Image via Facebook

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Boutique clothing store Kitson might be on the receiving end of a lawsuit for a collection of t-shirts promoting prescription drugs with the words "Xanax," "Vicodin" and "Adderall" emblazoned across the back.

According to TMZ, all three companies that make and sell the drugs listed on the t-shirts are thinking about pursuing legal action:

Adderall's rep tells us, "We had no involvement NOR do we approve of the sale of such a product using Adderall to glorify the misuse of our product." Vicodin's rep adds, "Prescription drug use should not be trivialized. It is a serious issue and we will be taking legal action to stop the clothing company from trying to sell such a product."

A Xanax rep tells TMZ they're also considering legal action.

The shirts have already been called out as damaging by DrugFree.org. Yesterday, the nonprofit posted a statement on their website decrying the t-shirts and encouraging readers to take action to get them pulled:
We recently learned that sports jerseys emblazoned with the words “Vicodin,” “Adderall,” and “Xanax” are available for sale at Kitson retail locations and on shopkitson.com. These products make light of prescription drug abuse, a dangerous behavior that is responsible for more deaths in the United States each year than heroin and cocaine combined.

We sent a letter to Christopher Lee, CEO of Kitson LA, asking him to stop selling these irresponsible items.

Now we ask you to join us online and write on Kitson LA’s Facebook page to let them know that the epidemic of prescription drug abuse is no laughing matter and you want these products removed now.

In response, designer Brian Lichtenberg had the following to say on Facebook:
" I have created a collection of t-shirts that are a parody of pop culture. This particular collection of prescription tee's is simply a commentary on what I see happening in our society. Call it what you may, but art in all forms is created off of pop culture and the social situations that surround it. A large percentage of Americans are prescribed these drugs by doctors everyday for legitimate reasons . These are not illegal substances. These tee's are not meant to encourage prescription drug abuse, but if they open the door to a much needed dialogue, as they seem to be doing now, then mission accomplished."
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Kitson has a reputation for catering to the shallowest of shallow in Hollywood, and they also have a history of printing inflammatory t-shirts (see: Team Jen and Team Angelina). This probably doesn't help.

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