Society of Homeopaths hope the ASA will believe their scraps of evidence.

So, it would appear that the Nightingale Collaborations focus on homoeopaths is having an effect. No doubt the ASA have been inundated with complaints about homeopaths' web sites.
The Society of Homeopaths has announced that it is glad that the ASA will bring some clarity to the area:

Society of Homeopaths welcomes progress on advertising clarity

The Society of Homeopaths today welcomes the Advertising Standards Authority's (ASA) announcement that it is to set up a project to look into the evidence base for the efficacy of homeopathic medicine.

The Society, the UK’s largest regulator of homeopaths, is looking forward to working with the ASA and will be submitting the well established and growing body of research evidence that shows homeopathy to be a safe, clinically-effective and cost-effective option.

Zofia Dymitr, chairwoman of the Society, said: “We are delighted that the ASA have decided to take an evidenced-based look at Homeopathy. For a number of years now it has been difficult to advise our members on issues like wording for adverts because the ASA’s position has been inconsistent. We look forward to working with the ASA to clarify the facts around Homeopathy and, once the ASA has concluded its work, to help our members to share the knowledge of their services with potential consumers in the full confidence of the ASA just like any other business or service provider”.

It is touching that the Society think an evidence based approach will do their members any favours. However, they now have little choice in the matter. What we can expect, if the way they handled the House of Commons investigation into Homeopathy is anything to go by, that they will attempt a strategy to redefine was is meant by science and evidence. If they can move the goal posts then they might, just might be able to make some claims in adverts.

But unless the ASA make a huge error of judgement, it now looks inevitable that homeopaths will not be allowed to make any claims to treat or cure and named condition. And the irony is that the Society of Homeopaths Code of Ethics expressly forbid homeopaths from doing any such thing. If only the Society had actually taken their code seriously, they might not be in such a precarious position today.

1 Comment on Society of Homeopaths hope the ASA will believe their scraps of evidence.

SceptiGuy 14th March, 2011 at 7:18 pm

Aye, well, I suppose "inert" might equate to "safe" in some circumstances, but medicine is not one of them. As for "growing body of research evidence", it’s pretty clear that the growing body of research evidence shows that it’s neither clinically effective nor cost-effective. Since the Parliamentary subcommittee report addresses exactly those two points, they are very much in the position of Dudley Moore’s failed actor character in the well-known sketch.