I think this press release might interest you:
Science advocates have filed a groundbreaking lawsuit against Boiron, Inc., one of the largest manufacturers of homeopathic products in the world, for deceiving vulnerable consumers with useless products dressed up to look like real medicine. The Center for Inquiry (CFI), which fights on behalf of consumers against pseudoscience, says Boiron routinely made false claims about what its products will treat and heal, misleading the public about the absurd pseudoscientific basis for Boiron products, and even lying about the ingredients their products contain.
“The facts could not be more clear. Boiron profits massively by deceiving consumers in their time of need,” said CFI Vice President and Legal Counsel Nick Little. “Boiron knows its products are worthless junk, so they do everything they can to obscure the truth in order to offload their snake oil upon the unwitting, the ill-informed, and the vulnerable. They can’t be allowed to get away with it any longer.”
Adherents of homeopathy claim, without evidence, that a substance which causes harm to a healthy person will cure anyone else suffering the same type of harm. In homeopathic products, the “active” ingredients are highly diluted mixtures of the so-called cures; the ingredient ends up so diluted, often literally no trace of the original substance remains. Manufacturers like Boiron then sell miniscule amounts of the already incredibly diluted ingredients and promise astounding results.
In its lawsuit, brought under the District of Columbia Consumer Protection Procedures Act, CFI alleges that Boiron sold a plethora of materially identical products, each made up of sugar pills and powders. Despite no scientifically detectable active ingredient, Boiron falsely promised consumers that each item would treat and cure a particular illness, injury, or health condition.
“Boiron sells little pills of sugar with grandiose claims. It’s hard to believe anyone would try to pass off such junk as a surefire way to treat painful skin problems, heal mental health issues, and even to counteract menopause,” said CFI Staff Attorney Aaron D. Green. “But Boiroin has been doing just that by tricking consumers into risking their health and throwing away their money on its fancy faux ‘medicines.’ It’s time for Boiron and all homeopathy hucksters to be held accountable.”
In its complaint, CFI notes that Boiron sells Saccharum officinale as a treatment for “nervous agitation in children after overindulgence.”
“Most parents would rightfully be skeptical of this product if Boiron told them what Saccharum officinale actually is,” said Green. “Table sugar.”
According to recent industry accounts, 85 percent of consumers who purchased homeopathic products did not realize they were homeopathic, and nine out of ten consumers did not even know what the term homeopathic meant.
Apart from selling products they know are useless, Boiron also misrepresented the products’ ingredients. Four Boiron products were analyzed by an independent lab, and, not only were no traces of the supposed active ingredient found, even one of the inactive ingredients could not be scientifically detected.
The Center for Inquiry is currently engaged in other lawsuits regarding homeopathy, including consumer protection cases against megaretailers CVS and Walmart for their sale and marketing of homeopathic products, the matter recently heard by the DC Court of Appeals. CFI is also engaged in an active Freedom of Information Act lawsuit that demands the Department of Health and Human Services grant the public access to the Homeopathic Pharmacopoeia of the United States (HPUS), the “bible of homeopathy” upon which federal regulation of homeopathy is based and to which the industry restricts access but for those willing to pay thousands of dollars for the privilege.
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All I can add to this is: good luck to the CFI and let’s hope reason will prevail!
12 Responses to Center for Inquiry files a lawsuit against Boiron
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Alright! I heard about their earlier lawsuit against CVS in the USA for deceptive marketing of homeopathic preparations, and gave them $$ to support it. I’m glad they’re still going at it.
And the more publicity for their lawsuits, the better. It will inform people better about homeopathy.
The action by Center For Inquiry is excellent although long overdue. I wish them success in the lawsuit, but I am skeptical that even courtroom victory will put an end to homeopathy and its kindred delusions just as a 2005 federal court decision in Pennsylvania adverse to Creationism/Intelligent Design (Kitzmiller v. Dover Area School District) failed to end that delusion
It can be well worth a few minutes spent to read an easily accessible essay by Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr. entitled “Homeopathy and its Kindred Delusions,” published in 1842. That essay very clearly defines homeopathy in a way that a layman can easily comprehend. It so happens that Samuel Hahnemann (1755-1843), the founder of Homeopathy, was still alive at the time of publication.
I found it grimly humorous when I did an internet search for that publication that the first entry was a preposterous refutation of Holmes classic essay. This essay entitled “Oliver Wendell Holmes and His Misinformed Attack on Homeopathy” is in my opinion worth a read for the sake of being aware of the nature of thinking of at least some Homeopathy defenders and enthusiasts.
The following (essential reading) are hosted on Wikisource:
Homoeopathy and Its Kindred Delusions (1842) by Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr.
https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Homoeopathy_and_Its_Kindred_Delusions
Quackery Unmasked (1858) by Dan King, MD.
https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Quackery_Unmasked
I wonder if Boron will call upon Dana as an expert witness? We know how well he went down the last time he appeared in a courtroom.
Unfortunately we’ve been here before with Hylands and unless the CFI is very careful, there may be a similar result.
Well, given that there are apparently several types of Truth out there, such as Trump’s ‘Truth Social’ and creationists’ Biblical Truth, I’d say we honour Dana by coining another Truth: NanoTruth. Which is regular Truth diluted and shaken to the point where there is no discernible amount of actual truth left whatsoever – and this NanoTruth can then be the ‘active’ ingredient in Boiron’s advertisements.
Of course, as the inventor and copyright holder of NanoTruth, I shall be satisfied with taking a modest share of the proceedings from the use of this type particular of Truth, let’s say 1% of Boiron’s annual turnover. Which I shall then donate to the CfI and similar organizations.
“Boron”, what an apt typo for the topic, Lenny! Here’s a quote from Hpathy:
🤣
” false claims about what its products will treat and heal, misleading the public about the absurd pseudoscientific basis for Boiron products, and even lying about the ingredients their products contain.”
I dont think they can prove any of those claims. Lots of science that CFI is not willing to consider can be brought up in court. Assuming its a jury trial, I dont think they will convince a jury.
Are you implying that there is some science involved in homeopathy?
Do enlighten us.
This is in the USA, where homeopathy is not as accepted as it is in the UK and many countries in Europe.
According to a poll, once people are told the truth about how homeopathic preparations are made, and that there’s often nothing left of the “active ingredient”, 78% said they now had a negative opinion of homeopathic products.
Nearly a quarter of respondents used words such as “bad”, “terrible”, “horrified” and “upset” regarding a purchase of homeopathic products.
And the jury would be well instructed in the reality of homeopathic products once CFI is done with them 🙂
Jury trials require 100% of the jurors to vote to convict, not 78%. And they are going to learn the other side of the story from the defense which is more than the average commenter on this blog knows and more than the pollster tells them which is only that the remedies are extremely diluted.
Yes, let’s make sure everyone only has opioids, benzos, and all that expensive, addictive garbage as an option. How comical that a group who calls themselves free thinkers has trouble allowing others to think freely. Seems like liberal atheists that are probably getting donations from big pharma them selves. When you are bought out with “donations”, you’re not a free thinker. I’m sure the top Ivy League doctors who use this stuff can’t tell the difference between placebos, but these guys can. Give it a rest.
congratulations! you managed to pack a lot of BS into one short comment.