Thursday, March 31, 2011

Federal Trade Commission trying to censor health claims

An allegedly religious organization called "Daniel Chapter One" (DCO) sells dietary supplements which they say help to prevent cancer
"DCO never claimed their supplements were FDA approved or that their use was supported by any oncologist, including the FTC’s paid expert. DCO, which is organized as a religious nonprofit corporation, has consistently promoted their dietary supplements as part of their “Christian spiritual and physical wellness ministry.” You may say that’s just a cover, but I don’t see how anyone — and certainly not the FTC — can objectively determine which religious messages are false, given that all religions rely on things that cannot be empirically proven.

The FTC’s case at trial rested on the belief that speech regarding the health benefits of any product is per se illegal unless it is supported by an FDA clinical trial. The FTC is thus trying to expand the FDA’s authority, without constitutional or congressional consent, to cover products, like dietary supplements, that are not within the FDA’s congressionally defined jurisdiction.

Source

Making any speech illegal until a government agency approves it is a VERY slippery slope.

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

Yet another way to make money out of the gullible religious, by exploiting "free speech" and other loop-holes.

Anonymous said...

WORD OF THE DAY
APPOINTED TORMENTOR, n.


A bureaucrat, czar, or any other political appointee whose power to steal from We the People and infringe on our liberty actually exceeds the power of the Elected Tormentor(s) who appointed and/or confirmed them.

Anonymous said...

Dummies, they should have said they were Muslims. No problems then!

Anonymous said...

Years ago Listerine had to remove their tag line "removes [some percent] of plaque" because it did not remove plaque.

These people are claiming that their vitamins prevent cancer ... Unless they have some type of clinical proof that it does, they should not being hyping it up.

There is a difference here, it's not of free speech, more like false advertisement.

kowdung

Anonymous said...

The First Amendment does not protect lies or wild exaggerations. If the Truth in Advertising laws were enforced, most of the ads and commercials we're forced to watch would have to be removed.

Anonymous said...

St. John's Wort is available in Ireland on prescription only.

It's easier to obtain marijuana and ecstacy.

Anonymous said...

Yes, but it's okay to tell people you've got a Medal of Honor.

Anonymous said...

I agree with several comments here - this is not about religious truth, this is about marketing a product under a specific representation as to medical/health benefits.
Unless that claim can be supported by evidence it ought not be made.

Anonymous said...

Anon 6:03 - Great idea, but why limit it to medicine? Other industries advertise, too. Shouldn't they be subject to the same scrutiny? Truth-in-advertising could work great, but we can't selectively apply it to just one industry.

Spurwing Plover said...

The FTC under our furer what else can we expect