Don't buy treatments and devices that claim to “cure paralysis, blindness or deafness”
- Moderate value
- Evidence A
- Saves money
- Free
- Takes minutes
- Some willpower
In plain words
The Advertising Law (《广告法》) is blunt. Ads for medical services, drugs and medical devices may not guarantee results, may not state a cure rate or effective rate, and may not use people giving personal testimonials. So claims like “stand up in three courses of treatment” or “so many people have recovered” are themselves illegal ads, and there is no need to study the principle they describe. Anything that is not a medical device may not even mention treating disease.
- Cost
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Free, and it saves money. The hard part is that family members hold out hope and can't be talked out of it.
- What you get
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Article 16 of the Advertising Law (《广告法》) provides that ads for medical services, drugs and medical devices may not contain the following: “(1) assertions or guarantees about efficacy or safety; (2) a cure rate or effective rate; (3) comparisons with the efficacy and safety of other drugs or medical devices, or with other medical institutions; (4) recommendations or endorsements by advertising spokespersons.” Article 17 provides that apart from ads for medical services, drugs and medical devices, “no other advertising may refer to disease-treatment functions, or use medical terms or wording that makes the goods being sold easy to confuse with drugs or medical devices.” Article 4 provides that ads may not contain false or misleading content and may not deceive or mislead consumers, and that the advertiser is responsible for the truthfulness of the ad content (nationwide, amended 2021).
- Notes
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There is only one way to judge: see whether it dares to promise everything. The rehabilitation department of a proper hospital will not promise you that you will stand up in a certain number of courses. When you come across this kind of promotion, report it to 12315 (China's consumer complaint hotline) or the local market regulation authority. The sales talk for health supplements follows the same path; see §6.10 (supplements). If you have already bought and want a refund, handle it by the methods for online shopping and prepaid consumption; see §5.29 (online shopping, know the platform rules). The beneficiary of this item is you and your family.
- Evidence grade
- A : Specific numbers from meta-analyses, large cohorts or randomized trials; for law and policy, the statute or official text.
- Sources
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- 中华人民共和国广告法（2021 年修正，第四条、第十六条、第十七条）. https://flk.npc.gov.cn/detail?id=ff8081817ab231eb017abd6bd860052d
Mentioned in
Translated from the Chinese original. Original book, section 33, tip 6. Content may be out of date and rules differ by place. When you actually deal with an agency, a doctor or a court, follow what local officials, doctors and lawyers tell you. Disclaimer