ERSP Review Of Claims Lights Fire Under Smoking-Cessation Marketer
This article was originally published in The Tan Sheet
Executive Summary
Final Smoke Inc. voluntarily modifies claims for its smoking-cessation system, including a dietary supplement and homeopathic detoxification liquid, in conjunction with an Electronic Retailing Self-Regulation Program review
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Final Smoke Inc. voluntarily modifies claims for its smoking-cessation system, including a dietary supplement and homeopathic detoxification liquid, in conjunction with an Electronic Retailing Self-Regulation Program review. ERSP says Aug. 25 that the revisions made by the Chino, Calif.-based direct marketer present "a clearer and considerably more accurate message regarding the performance of" the Final Smoke system to consumers. An anonymous challenger brought Final Smoke's claims - which included "Eliminates the desire to smoke," "Flushes the body of nicotine" and "Never desire another cigarette" - to the attention of the Council of Better Business Bureaus forum. The challenger emphasized the "heightened" need for accurate claims and sufficient substantiation for a smoking-cessation product, given the serious health risks associated with smoking, ERSP says. Smoking cessation is a potential priority area for FDA as it begins regulation of tobacco products. Final Smoke maintained to ERSP that it "does not attempt to market a 'miracle pill'" and the success of the system depends on psychological cues and educational information in its supporting materials. The marketer said it would eliminate claims of "immediate" relief and "emphasize in future advertising that it is the collective components of Final Smoke" that make it unique and effective. ERSP found the herbal ingredient Lobelia inflata in Final Smoke does have "homeopathic provings" as a mechanism of nicotine withdrawal and meets manufacturing guidelines. However, it encouraged the company to clearly state that the substance is homeopathic. In a statement, Final Smoke thanks ERSP "for its role in maintaining the integrity of the direct-response industry through self-regulation." ERSP reviewed marketing materials for another smoking-cessation program, CigArrest , in 2006. It found the marketer had adequate substantiation for claims made for its homeopathic formula but advised changes to more extreme claims relating to the speed of associated smoking cessation (1 'The Tan Sheet' Feb. 27, 2006, In Brief). - Dan Schiff ( 2 [email protected] ) |