Mojo
Mostly harmless
The UK Advertising Standards Authority has published an adjudication about a leaflet put out by a homoeopath:
Archway House Natural Health Centre t/a The Harborough Asthma and Eczema Clinic for Kids
They upheld complaints about four issues, finding that the leaflet breached the sections of the CAP code relating to substantiation, truthfulness, responsible advertising, testimonials and endorsements, and health & beauty products and therapies - general.
In particular they found that the words "we look at the causes of allergies, not the symptoms ... Although creams and puffers can provide temporary relief, they're not offering your child a cure. Homeopathy is different; it seeks to address the triggers for asthma and eczema ..." in the leaflet "misleadingly implied that homeopathy offered a cure for asthma and eczema by addressing the causes of those conditions".
Interestingly, this leaflet had already been the subject of a complaint to the Society of Homeopaths, with whom the homoeopath in question is registered, about possible breaches of the SoH's Code of Ethics and Practice, which among other things states that "no advertising may be used which expressly or implicitly claims to cure named diseases" (section 48) and that homeopaths must "avoid making claims (whether explicit or implied; orally or in writing) implying cure of any named disease" (section 72). The Society of Homeopaths decided that the leaflet didn't breach their code.
The ASA also found that the advertiser was unable to substantiate a claim that homoeopathy "helps alleviate the flaring skin and tightening lungs of your child's allergic reactions", found that the advertisement was irresponsible because its suggestion that conventional medicine was less effective than homoeopathy in treating asthma and eczema was likely to discourage people from seeking medical advice, and found that the testimonials in the leaflet could not be authenticated
For more details see the coverage on the Quackometer blog:
The Society of Homeopaths: The Failure of Self Regulation
Homeopaths Through the Looking-Glass
Archway House Natural Health Centre t/a The Harborough Asthma and Eczema Clinic for Kids
They upheld complaints about four issues, finding that the leaflet breached the sections of the CAP code relating to substantiation, truthfulness, responsible advertising, testimonials and endorsements, and health & beauty products and therapies - general.
In particular they found that the words "we look at the causes of allergies, not the symptoms ... Although creams and puffers can provide temporary relief, they're not offering your child a cure. Homeopathy is different; it seeks to address the triggers for asthma and eczema ..." in the leaflet "misleadingly implied that homeopathy offered a cure for asthma and eczema by addressing the causes of those conditions".
Interestingly, this leaflet had already been the subject of a complaint to the Society of Homeopaths, with whom the homoeopath in question is registered, about possible breaches of the SoH's Code of Ethics and Practice, which among other things states that "no advertising may be used which expressly or implicitly claims to cure named diseases" (section 48) and that homeopaths must "avoid making claims (whether explicit or implied; orally or in writing) implying cure of any named disease" (section 72). The Society of Homeopaths decided that the leaflet didn't breach their code.
The ASA also found that the advertiser was unable to substantiate a claim that homoeopathy "helps alleviate the flaring skin and tightening lungs of your child's allergic reactions", found that the advertisement was irresponsible because its suggestion that conventional medicine was less effective than homoeopathy in treating asthma and eczema was likely to discourage people from seeking medical advice, and found that the testimonials in the leaflet could not be authenticated
For more details see the coverage on the Quackometer blog:
The Society of Homeopaths: The Failure of Self Regulation
Homeopaths Through the Looking-Glass
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