Consumer watchdog complaint sees ban on illegal Botox ads
24 December 2008 00:00 in Industry related health news
Online auction house eBay has agreed to remove illegal adverts for Botox from its site after Which? uncovered numerous cases in a matter of days.
The consumer watchdog identified 240 instances of unlawful Botox advertising in five days between October 13th and 17th.
Botox is a prescription-only medicine and advertisements for it are therefore prohibited under the Medicines (Advertising) Regulations 1994.
However, 16 companies and individuals were found to be advertising Botox on eBay, which has now agreed to clamp down on such ads.
Health campaigner Jenny Driscoll commented: "Some of the adverts may lead people to think that having Botox is as easy as getting your nails done, but it's a powerful natural poison which can have serious side effects.
"We're not against the treatment, but people need a proper consultation to make sure they don't find themselves at risk."
A number of industry experts have noticed a recent rise in demand for Botox, with the American Society of Plastic Surgeons finding that 27 per cent of survey respondents were considering less expensive options instead of invasive surgery.
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