Faith Drops not AIDS Treatment. 1/9/10

The drops are based on plant extracts and a form of chlorine

Cape Town - The marketers of "Faith Drops" are not entitled to claim that the product is a treatment for Aids and a range of other diseases, the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has ruled.

The ruling followed a complaint by the Treatment Action Campaign about online ads for the drops, which are based on plant extracts and a form of chlorine.

The ad claimed patients with HIV, malaria, tuberculosis, cholera, hepatitis and cancer had been "successfully treated" with the drops.

It claimed the drops reduced the HIV load to levels that were undetected in the bloodstream "thus totally controlling the HIV virus and not only putting it to sleep".

In a ruling released on Wednesday, the ASA also rejected the claim by marketers Damaansa Holdings that the product was registered with the Medicines Control Council.

It said the ASA code laid down that ads should not offer products, treatment or advice for specified illnesses - including most of those listed in the Faith Drops ad - unless this was in line with full product registration by the MCC.

"In addition, the (ASA) directorate is not swayed by the fact that the respondent mentions in selected sections of its website that this product cannot heal or cure," the ruling said.

Solal ad also rejected

"The overwhelming impression created by the main section (of the ad) as well as the sections dealing with each individually identified disease is that this product would deliver very beneficial health benefits to all who suffer from such a disease."

In a separate ruling, the ASA gave the thumbs down to a Solal ad urging consumers to take its "eye-protective nutrients" from early adulthood to protect their eyes from macular degeneration.

This followed a complaint from a doctor that the primary cause of this condition was genetic, which meant the "expensive" product might not benefit those who took it.

In addition, the doctor said, age-related macular degeneration did not affect black people.

The ASA rejected a supposed independent expert opinion commissioned in support of the supplement by Solal from a homeopathy practitioner.