Ad description
Claims that appeared on 29 March 2011 on reiki-healing.com stated under the sub heading THERAPY AND LEARNING "Heaven-by-the-Sea offers complementary therapies that complement doctors. In GP's surgeries, 71% of chronic patients the doctor could not help were helped by the complementary therapist! So there is a good chance one of our wide range of therapies may also help you! Therapies can be received as a patient or studied as a student. Effective therapies offered include for cancer, ADHD, back pain, migraine, depression, anger, low energy, sleeplessness, ADD, sadness, bereavement, tinnitus and sciatica ..."
Issue
1. The complainant challenged whether the efficacy claims for reiki healing were misleading and could be substantiated.
2. The ASA challenged whether the website discouraged essential treatment for conditions for which medical supervision should be sought.
Response
The Allan Sweeney International Reiki Healing & Training Centre (the ASIRHC) did not respond to the ASA's enquiries.
Assessment
1. Upheld
The ASA was concerned by the ASIRHC's lack of response and apparent disregard for the Code, which was a breach of CAP Code (Edition 12) rule 1.7 1.7 Any unreasonable delay in responding to the ASA's enquiries will normally be considered a breach of the Code. (Unreasonable delay). We reminded them of their responsibility to respond promptly to our enquiries and told them to do so in future.
We noted the ASIRHC did not provide robust scientific evidence that substantiated its claims that reiki was an effective therapy for cancer, ADHD, back pain, migraine, depression, anger, low energy, sleeplessness, ADD, sadness, bereavement, tinnitus and sciatica. Because we had not seen any such evidence, and we were not aware of any such evidence that would allow Reiki practitioners to make claims that went beyond referring to spiritual or emotional healing, we concluded that the claims were misleading.
The claim breached CAP Code (Edition 12) rules
1.7
1.7
Any unreasonable delay in responding to the ASA's enquiries will normally be considered a breach of the Code.
(Unreasonable delay),
3.1
3.1
Marketing communications must not materially mislead or be likely to do so.
(Misleading advertising),
3.7
3.7
Before distributing or submitting a marketing communication for publication, marketers must hold documentary evidence to prove claims that consumers are likely to regard as objective and that are capable of objective substantiation. The ASA may regard claims as misleading in the absence of adequate substantiation.
(Substantiation) and
12.1
12.1
Objective claims must be backed by evidence, if relevant consisting of trials conducted on people. Substantiation will be assessed on the basis of the available scientific knowledge.
Medicinal or medical claims and indications may be made for a medicinal product that is licensed by the MHRA, VMD or under the auspices of the EMA, or for a CE-marked medical device. A medicinal claim is a claim that a product or its constituent(s) can be used with a view to making a medical diagnosis or can treat or prevent disease, including an injury, ailment or adverse condition, whether of body or mind, in human beings.
Secondary medicinal claims made for cosmetic products as defined in the appropriate European legislation must be backed by evidence. These are limited to any preventative action of the product and may not include claims to treat disease.
(Medicines, medical devices, health related products and beauty products).
2. Upheld
We considered the claim "Effective therapies offered include for cancer, ADHD, back pain, migraine, depression, anger, low energy, sleeplessness, ADD, sadness, bereavement, tinnitus and sciatica..." suggested that reiki was a treatment for those conditions. We considered that cancer, ADHD, depression and ADD were conditions for which medical supervision should be sought. We considered that the claim could discourage patients from seeking essential treatment for those conditions and we therefore concluded that the claim breached the Code.
The claim breached CAP Code (Edition 12) rule
12.2
12.2
Marketers must not discourage essential treatment for conditions for which medical supervision should be sought. For example, they must not offer specific advice on, diagnosis of or treatment for such conditions unless that advice, diagnosis or treatment is conducted under the supervision of a suitably qualified health professional. Accurate and responsible general information about such conditions may, however, be offered (see rule
12.1
12.1
Objective claims must be backed by evidence, if relevant consisting of trials conducted on people. Substantiation will be assessed on the basis of the available scientific knowledge.
Medicinal or medical claims and indications may be made for a medicinal product that is licensed by the MHRA, VMD or under the auspices of the EMA, or for a CE-marked medical device. A medicinal claim is a claim that a product or its constituent(s) can be used with a view to making a medical diagnosis or can treat or prevent disease, including an injury, ailment or adverse condition, whether of body or mind, in human beings.
Secondary medicinal claims made for cosmetic products as defined in the appropriate European legislation must be backed by evidence. These are limited to any preventative action of the product and may not include claims to treat disease.
).
Health professionals will be deemed suitably qualified only if they can provide suitable credentials, for example, evidence of: relevant professional expertise or qualifications; systems for regular review of members' skills and competencies and suitable professional indemnity insurance covering all services provided; accreditation by a professional or regulatory body that has systems for dealing with complaints and taking disciplinary action and has registration based on minimum standards for training and qualifications.
(Medicines, medical devices, health-related products and beauty products).
Action
The website must not appear again in its current form. We told ASIRHC to remove the claim "Effective therapies offered include for cancer, ADHD, back pain, migraine, depression, anger, low energy, sleeplessness, ADD, sadness, bereavement, tinnitus and sciatica..." and not to make efficacy claims for reiki unless they held robust evidence to substantiate them. We referred the matter to CAP's Compliance team.
