Type: General
Product: Health
Sent To: Magazine & Regional Press contacts
Action: Contact Copy Advice
Sector: Health and beauty

Further to General Ad Alert No 322, issued in September 2001, about stop smoking claims by hypnotherapists, please find below updated advice about advertisements for these services:

· claims about success rates should always be followed immediately by an explanation about how the figure was obtained
· claims referring to the acceptance of hypnotherapy by doctors should clearly refer to a specific or ‘growing’ number of doctors rather than to the medical profession as a whole. Advertisers should be in a position to provide evidence to substantiate such a claim. In addition, any references to GP referrals/’a referral network’ should be supported by proof that GPs have referred their patients to the advertiser rather than expressing an aspiration that they will do so
· claims that hypnotherapy is ‘safe’ or ‘safer than nicotine patches’ are unlikely to be acceptable
· references to NLP should avoid implying that it is a ‘new science’
· hypnotherapists should avoid terms such as ‘experienced’ or the implication that they have been in practice for a number of years if this is not the case. In addition, while advertisers who have the Practice Builders teaching course may refer to certification by the American Board of Hypnotherapy they should avoid terms such as ‘International Teaching Institute’ which imply that Practice Builders is primarily an educational foundation.

Members are also advised that clause 50.8 of the 11th edition of the Code states that “Marketers should hold proof before claiming or implying that minor addictions and bad habits can be treated without effort from those suffering”. This removes the requirement that marketing communications for products that help people stop smoking should always refer to the vital role of willpower but marketers must avoid implying that willpower is unnecessary unless they have evidence to prove this. Claims that quitting is ‘easy’ or ‘guaranteed’ remain likely to be problematic without evidence.