Newsfront

Magnetic claims challenged

Online claims that magnetic wrist and ankle bands have therapeutic benefits have had to be removed following a complaint to the Advertising Standards Authority (NZ Herald, 24 December).

The complaint, brought by NZ Skeptics committee member Mark Honeychurch, said the Magnetic Magnets' website made unsubstantiated therapeutic claims and were likely to mislead consumers.

Magnetic Magnets is a New Zealand-owned company and sells exclusively online. Its website claimed the product "releases Far infrared wave, which can help relieve tension and improve the blood circulation. Releases negative ions to purify blood, activate cells and promotes the balance of the body's PH."

Mr Honeychurch said there was no evidence provided to back up the claims, and an online search "seems to suggest that no reliable link has ever been found between magnets and the kinds of health improvements that are claimed".

Magnetic Magnets provided information from websites, including Wikipedia, and an email from a customer backing up the product's effect.

The ASA complaints board said the evidence provided was insufficient to support the claims made. It found the advertisement was likely to mislead consumers and did not present scientific information in an accurate manner.

The board noted at the time of the December 11 decision, the website was unchanged, but after being contacted by APNZ the claims were removed. It now says far infrared waves "generate heat", and that "heat therapy can be beneficial to those with arthritis and stiff muscles and injuries to the deep tissue of the skin".

Something to flash the pearly whites about

A complaint about a pro-fluoridation advertisement has been rejected by the Advertising Standards Authority (Waikato Times, 1 January).

The advertisement showed a family holding a billboard that said "I vote for fluoride being added to water." It was placed in the Times by the Ministry of Health and Waikato District Health Board last September. It also stated that fluoride "makes a huge difference in reducing tooth decay, particularly for children", "is safe", and "provides an affordable benefit to everyone."

Fluoride Free Hamilton co-ordinator Pat McNair laid a complaint with the authority claiming all three of the statements in the advertisement were false.

"The ad was designed to mislead the public prior to a referendum by way of propaganda," she said in her objection.

The complaints board ruled all three statements had been substantiated, none would deceive or mislead consumers and the advertisement "had observed the requisite standard of social responsibility".

It also noted the DHB had "a duty to provide information to the public", and would be seen as an expert in the area due to its role.

Mrs McNair told the Times she stood by her complaint and that the complaints system was flawed.

"By its own admission (although the ASA is theoretically an independent body) it cannot rule against another Government authority if they are broadly considered to be 'experts' in the field and the ASA has been publicly warned to 'tread carefully' in this area," she said.

The dismissal of the complaint was a good outcome for DHB, said its communications director Mary Anne Gill.

Tribunal clears iridologist

An iridologist has been partially cleared of the inappropriate treatment of a cancer sufferer after a tribunal ruled she had acted out of compassion for a "manipulative" patient (Dominion Post, 2 November).

Te Horo natural health practitioner Ruth Nelson, 72, was alleged to have failed to provide proper care in her treatment of Yvonne Maine, who died from skin cancer in 2010 (NZ Skeptic 109).

A 20 cm lesion on Mrs Maine's head had eaten away skin and bone to reveal her brain when she finally sought mainstream medical treatment in July 2009. She had palliative surgery, but died 10 months later.

In a case brought by the Office of the Health and Disability Commissioner, Nelson was defending allegations her treatment breached eight provisions in the Code of Health and Disability Services Consumers' Rights. The Human Rights Review Tribunal has upheld one breach - that Nelson "did not comply with her duty to provide services to Mrs Maine with reasonable care and skill".

They said the elderly iridologist should have refused to treat Mrs Maine when first faced with the rotting, oozing lump on the Feilding grandmother's head in February 2008. Her failure lay in not refusing to have anything to do with Mrs Maine's cyst from the time it was shown to her, and that failure was not the result of indifference, carelessness or negligence.

The tribunal did not accept the version of events given by Mrs Maine's daughters, Carla Taylor and Julieta Williams. In their testimonies they said Nelson told their mother she could cure the cyst, and warned her off going to hospital. It may be that Mrs Maine lied to her daughters to avoid them pursuing further medical treatment, the report said.

Carla Taylor said she was disappointed with the result. She had hoped the inquiry would lead to the formation of a naturopathy body with binding codes and standards, to which registration should be compulsory.

Neon gets all-clear

Eight-year-old Neon Roberts, whose New Zealand-born mother fought against cancer treatment in Britain, has received an all-clear by doctors (NZ Herald, 23 December).

Sally Roberts tried to prevent the treatment for his brain tumour and went on the run with the boy, believing radiotherapy would "fry his brain". The British High Court ruled Neon should be treated with conventional therapy and live with his father, Ben, at his London home.

In December they told the Daily Mail he was in remission. "We are delighted to be able to share our family's joy that all Neon's scans, including one last week, have shown no sign of the cancer returning," Mr Roberts said. "We couldn't have wished for a better Christmas present."

Britain declares Scientology a religion

Scientology has been officially recognised as a religion in Britain after the country's highest court swept aside 158 years of law to rule that worshipping a god is not essential to religion (NZ Herald, 13 December).

Five Supreme Court justices redefined religion in law in order to enable Scientologists to conduct weddings. The judgment followed a five-year legal battle by Louisa Hodkin, a 25-year-old Scientologist seeking the right to get married at the Church of Scientology chapel in central London. She and her fiancé hailed the ruling as a victory for freedom of worship.

Meanwhile, the Government is taking legal advice amid fears that the judgment could lead to organisations branded as cults receiving tax breaks. In 2006 Michael Gove, now the Education Secretary, used parliamentary privilege to call Scientology an "evil cult".

Conference combats sorcery

Participants at a conference in Papua New Guinea on how to stop sorcery-related violence had to reach for their handkerchiefs throughout the three-day event (Radio New Zealand, 4 December).

It's estimated that 150 people - mostly women - are killed every year in PNG after being accused of sorcery but under-reporting and a lack of data mean that number is probably wildly inaccurate.

Churches, civil society and NGO's were well-represented at the conference which met in the Eastern Highlands provincial capital in December, but others lamented the lack of government presence.

The gathering generated robust debate over sorcery's reality and underlined the urgency with which action on stopping atrocities related to sorcery accusations must be taken - "but, as yet, there's no agreement on how that should be done," Annell Husband reported. "What's become painfully clear is the scope of the problem with which PNG is grappling and how a one-size-fits-all response in a country of such cultural diversity is unlikely to be successful."