Advertising watchdog investigates claims on homeopathy websites

The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) is asking people not to contact it with any more complaints about homeopathy websites at the moment.

ASA, the advertising watchdog, which has received a high volume of complaints about the claims on some of these sites, explained that it is already conducting a long-term investigation into these.

It said the scale of the current investigation meant it would not be investigating new claims brought to its attention because they were "most unlikely to alert us to new issues and it can have the unintended consequence of slowing down our work".

Homeopathy works on the principle of treating like with like, with the active ingredient diluted heavily in water. Despite its popularity, the ASA pointed out that no scientific rationale exists to prove that it works.

Most of the complaints the ASA has received surround the efficacy of homeopathy in diagnosing, treating or helping certain health or medical conditions, such as arthritis.

It began investigating these complaints on 1 March and contacted sites it had received complaints about. The ASA warned them the rules governing efficacy claims for homeopathic treatments are extremely strict and ordered changes to be made.

This month it is monitoring these sites to see whether the necessary changes have been made and to decide if further action needs to be taken.

"It is mainly an educational exercise at the moment. We don't want to wield a huge regulatory stick and worry people. We have been working with homeopathic and alternative therapy organisations to help get the message through," the ASA told us.

The watchdog went on to say that the process is likely to take some time. And while it would not investigate new complaints, it would retain the details for future compliance initiatives, if it considered such action to be necessary.