Homeopathy does not cure

The British regulator forced the homeopathic Association to remove from the website claims that homeopathy treats diabetes and some other diseases

Maria Tolmacheva, XX2 century

In the UK, the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA), in response to a consumer complaint, ordered the organization Homeopathy UK remove from the website claims that homeopathy can help with diseases such as depression, diabetes, infertility, psoriasis and asthma.

The ASA issued a public resolution stating that the advertisement and subsequent related articles on the website of a UK-registered charity Homeopathy UK violated the advertising code because they claimed that homeopathy can help with certain diseases.

"Marketers should not interfere with the treatment of diseases for which you should consult a doctor. For example, they should not offer specific advice, diagnosis or treatment of such diseases if they are not the advice of a doctor, and these diagnostics or treatment are not carried out under the supervision of a qualified medical specialist.",

it is stated in the ASA ruling.

Homeopathy UK (formerly known as the British Homeopathic Association) responded that the articles mentioned were written by qualified doctors.

The Advertising Standards Authority acknowledged that the articles on the organization's website were indeed written by doctors certified by the General Medical Council (a public body in the UK that gives doctors work permits), and that these doctors are qualified to give advice, diagnose or treat. But, since there is no legal minimum educational qualification for practicing homeopathy in the UK, according to the ASA, the organization Homeopathy UK cannot guarantee that people who believe such advertising will certainly receive treatment, which will be carried out under the supervision of a qualified medical professional.

The Department is also concerned that advertising and related articles may discourage consumers from seeking the necessary treatment from qualified physicians.

Homeopathy UK objected to ASA, stating that it seeks to share information about homeopathy for the benefit of others, not for commercial gain, and that the organization always recommends that patients seeking homeopathic care do so under the supervision of a qualified doctor.

However, the ASA's final injunction states that the advertisement must be removed and must no longer appear in the form complained of. The Committee also ordered the organization Homeopathy UK should ensure that in the future its advertising articles and ads do not mention such diseases.

Reference

ASA is a non–governmental self-regulatory organization funded by contributions from participants – players of the advertising market. Its rules and standards generally follow British law, and in some places even stricter than the latter. ASA regulations are not binding, but the weight of the expert opinions of this organization in society and in the advertising market is very high, and advertisers themselves mostly voluntarily pay membership fees to it and are ready to comply with its standards. In addition, the Department has a special team for the execution of regulations – a group of specialists who maintain contacts with the media and ensure that the advertising of violators is not published anywhere. Finally, to solve situations with particularly uncooperative players, the ASA also has a tool – the Management can send their cases for consideration to Ofcom, the regulator of the communications market (in the broadest sense, from television and radio to mobile communications, the Internet and mail). Ofcom, although it is, like the ASA, a non-governmental organization, has very broad state-approved powers, including regulates the issuance and revocation of various licenses, can issue fines and generally resembles the Russian Roskomnadzor in the range of tasks served.

As a rule, most ASA prescriptions are fulfilled, although not always without discussion. Moreover, they may concern not only a specific advertising product or a specific company or organization, but the advertising market as a whole. In particular, not so long ago, the ASA banned the use in advertising in the United Kingdom of images of "insufficiently dressed women", gender stereotypes, as well as stereotypes linking physical characteristics with success in personal or social life.

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