Narconon UK advertising "Get off Drugs at Home Self-help Withdrawal Programme" HT - Scientology Books and Media: Narconon in the UK – Part Two http://scicrit.wordpress.com/2014/08/21/scientology-in-the-uk-part-two/ Excerpt: Code: http://getoffdrugs.org.uk/ Code: http://getoffdrugs.org.uk/introduction-3/ Code: http://getoffdrugs.org.uk/get-off-drugs-at-home-3/disclaimer/ Code: http://getoffdrugs.org.uk/get-off-drugs-at-home-3/get-off-drugs-at-home-program-and-steps/
Please report this to the ASA: http://www.asa.org.uk/Consumers/How-to-complain/Online-Form/Step1.aspx What to do: 1) Identify specific claims that are untrue, e.g. that Narconon can help you give up drugs. 2) Complain that the advertiser (Narconon) doesn't have robust evidence to support that claim. Then the ASA will investigate, Narconon will give them some bullshit report, and the ASA will identify that it's not "robust evidence" and call them on it. In public, so great press potential here. Online advertising including the advertiser's own website, and Facebook etc, is included in the ASA's remit.
"Thank you for contacting the ASA. Having reviewed the website in question, our conclusion is that the claims are likely to be clear breaches of our Code, as they relate to the treatment of substance addiction. I have therefore asked our Compliance team to commence new action against this advertiser, to ensure that their advertising is in line with our established guidance in this area. As your complaint is substantially similar to that which led to the adjudication being upheld, and the Compliance team have agreed to contact the advertiser, we will not investigate your complaint further. The Compliance team will not be able to respond to you directly, but please be assured that they will look to take action if the advertiser is unwilling to bring their advertising in line with our guidance. You can read more about our Compliance process here." I will try and get something up on NHS evidence to try and ensure healthcare professionals are aware it is not a recognised pathway and can advise accordingly.
It wouldn't be the first time. Cult church censured on drug ads March 27, 2003, Stephen Bates, Guardian Unlimited
Sorry I'm late to the party. I wrote the blog post which started this thread (as scicrit).Later, I contacted the ASA and wrote another about their response. http://scicrit.wordpress.com/2014/1...ority-takes-an-interest-in-narconon-scotland/ The good news is that the site had been in maintenance mode for some time. I am assuming they did this so that they could avoid public censure from the ASA while not appearing to have closed down. When I first discovered it, I saved their 'get off drugs at home' website to the wayback machine so their mad claims can still be viewed in all their glory. How they escape prosecution for such potentially dangerous pseudo-medical advice is a mystery to me. I will keep an eye on the URL (and would encourage others to do so). It would be very like the CofS to resurrect it when they thought nobody was looking.
