Watchdog bans colonic irrigation advert

An advert claiming that colonic irrigation was capable of relieving the symptoms of 19 conditions including myalgic encephalopathy, psoriasis, bad breath and colitis has been banned by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA). The claims were made in adverts in London’s Metro newspaper and regional press in the north-east by a Newcastle-based company, the Body Detox Clinic. The claims were dismissed by the ASA because the company could not provide ‘robust clinical evidence to support them’. The ASA’s ruling means the company cannot repeat the claims in paid-for advertising. However, the company’s website, which is not regulated by the ASA, was repeating the claims the day after the print adverts were banned. The ASA’s ruling, prompted by a complaint by a member of the public, states that ‘BDC had provided only anecdotal evidence for their claims’.

Guardian, 11 August 2007, 17.