A2Z Ozone's MLM Lotion

Reg the "Wellness/Oxygen practicioner" - aka New Horizons, aka A2Z Ozone UK - got himself on the ASA's main adjudications page this week after the ASA Council upheld my previous complaint.

(Image credit)

Following a general policy of "give no mercy, for ye shall receive none", here's another ASA complaint about his latest advert!

"I write to complain about an advert which appears in Nexus Magazine (June-July 2010, Vol 17, No 4, p24).

The advert, for A2Z Ozone UK aka New Horizons promotes various health products.

I suspect that the advert may be in breach of two sections of the British Code of Advertising, Sales Promotion and Direct Marketing (CAP) code. I can provide an original copy of the advert by post, if required.

1. I have named A2Z Ozone UK aka New Horizons as the advertiser, although they are not mentioned in the advert, as they share the same phone number used in an earlier Nexus Magazine advert, about which my complaint has recently been upheld [1].

2. This complaint concerns the claims made for "MSM Lotion for beautiful skin and healthy joints" and "Colon/Liver Cleanse 60 cap[sule]s".

3. MSM (Methylsulfonylmethane) is a sulphur-based compound which was popularised as a dietary supplement in the book "The Miracle of MSM - The Natural Solutions for Pain" by Dr. Stanley W. Jacob [2]. It is reportedly available as a lotion manufactured by "Scientific Biologics, Inc" [3].

4. I have been unable to find any clinical trials attesting to MSM's efficacy in producing "beautiful skin".

5. I have been unable to find any clinical trials attesting to MSM's efficacy in producing "healthy joints". A single pilot study [4] has investigated MSM's effects on osteoarthritis.

6. Under Sections 3.1 and 50.1 of the CAP Code, I challenge whether the advertiser can substantiate the claim that their MSM Lotion causes "beautiful skin and healthy joints".

7. The advert contains no identifying information about the "Colon/Liver Cleanse" capsules.

8. Under Sections 3.1 and 50.1 of the CAP Code, I challenge whether the advertiser can substantiate the claim that their "Colon/Liver Cleanse" capsules can cleanse the colon and cleanse the liver.

9. I confirm that I have no connections with the advertiser or the magazine. I confirm that I am not involved in legal proceedings with the advertiser or the magazine.

Footnotes:
[1] http://www.asa.org.uk/Complaints-and-ASA-action/Adjudications/2010/6/A2Z-Ozone-UK/TF_ADJ_48603.aspx
[2] Berkley Trade, 1999, ISBN 978-0425172650
[3] http://arthritis-alternative.com/detail/MSM%20Lotion.cfm
[4] Kim LS, Axelrod LJ, Howard P, Buratovich N, Waters RF. Efficacy of methylsulfonylmethane (MSM) in osteoarthritis pain of the knee: a pilot clinical trial. Osteoarthritis Cartilage 2006;14(3):286–94. PMID 1630992. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16309928
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