Virginia State Board of Pharmacy v. Virginia Citizens Consumer Council, Inc. 425 U.S. 748 (1976) Virginia had a law that made it a crime for pharmacies to advertise prices for prescription drugs. It was considered 'unprofessional' for pharmacists to advertise because aggressive competition could impact service and encourage pharmacists to cut corners. The VCCC challenged the law, claiming that it was an unconstitutional prohibition on free speech as guaranteed by the 1st Amendment. VCCC noted that drug prices varied greatly among retailers and it was unfair to consumers to not let them compare. The US Supreme Court found the Virginia law to be unconstitutional. Until this time, it had been generally considered that advertising (aka commercial speech) was unprotected by the 1st Amendment. See Valentine v. Christensen (316 U.S. 52 (1942)). The Court reaffirmed their recent decision in Bigelow v. Virginia (421 U.S. 809 (1975)), and found that commercial speech is indeed covered by the 1st Amendment. The Court noted that if a State had a compelling government interest, they could still regulate commercial speech. They just couldn't completely suppress the dissemination of truthful information about lawful commercial activities because of fear about the information's effects. For example, a State could still prohibit false advertising, or regulate where billboards could be placed.