On a recent trip to the drug store I spotted a box of Bayer “Sugar Free” aspirin.

I never thought of aspirin as being sugared, and with good reason: it’s not. You might find some specialty brand with a coating that contains a trace of sugar, but aspirin does not contain sugar. None.

Put another way: zero.

So what’s the point of Bayer “Sugar Free”? It’s a come-on aimed at diabetic customers whom Bayer execs apparently presume are so hypnotized by the words “Sugar Free” that they’ll purchase any product with those words on the packaging.

So what’s next? How about sugar-free beef, or sugar-free water, or sugar-free air conditioning? Why not sugar-free cars? If you’re diabetic you don’t want to own a car that’s anything less than 100 percent sugar-free. So consider test driving the all-new 2009 Sugar-Free Subaru.

It’s a sweet ride. (Sorry…couldn’t resist!)