Covid-19 핑계대고 국민들 현혹시키는 버섯들,오레가노(Herb의 일종)기름, 마스크.거짖 선전광고에 철퇴를 가하는 경조장을 캐나다 정부가, 이를 광고하는 "Canadian Tire"를 포함한 유수의 큰 회사에 보냈다.
미국이 1930년초에 겪었던 대공황시 발생했던 거짖광고, 사기, 살인, 경제의 초토화 등등의 재난을 겪었던 괴로움 이상으로, Coronavirus Pandemic이 전세계인들의 생명을 위협하고 있는 틈을 타서, 미국과 캐나다 소재의 큰 Marketing 회사들이 허위 광고를 내어, 자연산으로 만들어진 제품들이 Coronavirus Pandemic 치료에 특효약이라는 판매에 열을 올리고, 자기네가 선전하는 Face Mask가 더 Droplet차단에 더효과적이라고, 자칫하면 더 큰 피해를 입힐수 있는, 괴상한 소문들이 퍼져나가, 정부가 이를 규제하는 경고장을 해당업체에 보냈고, CBC방송에 뉴스로 보도하도록 하고 있다.
어려운 환경에 처하면 잘살고 못사는 나라나 사람들의 본성이 그대로 드러나는것 같아, 더 불안하다.
동물의 세계에서는 약육강식의 법칙이 철저 하지만, 인간사회에서는 인간의 양심과 사회적 규범과 그리고 법이있어, 보통때는 약자 강자 구분없이 다 정부와 사회적으로 보호를 받지만....지금처럼 전염병확산 걱정과 혼돈상태에서는 개인각자가 먼저 자신들을 보호하기위한 책임을 잊지 말아야 할것이라는 생각이다.
Coronavirus 균을 죽이거나 소독제품, 또는 치료제라고 선전,판매되고있는 액체형태로 제조된 버섯을 원료 만든 소독제, 오레가노기름과 스페셜 특효약들이 전부 이번 단속의 대상이 된다고 경고하면서, 캐나다보건성이 이러한 허위광고와 유언비어를 철저히 봉쇄할것이라고 뉴스로 시장의 판매상들과 국민들에게 메세지를 보내고 있다.
연방 보건성은 최근 몇주동안에 캐네디언들로 부터, 현재 전지구촌에서 약 80,000이상의 사망자를 내고, 계속해서 사상자가 발생하고 있는 신종폐렴을 치료하거나 또는 예방할수있다고 주장하는, 확인안된 특효약광고에 대한 불만을 토로하는 수십건의 항의를 받았다고 한다.
캐나다 보건성은 이러한 불만보고를 확인하고, 이제품을 판매하고있는 여러회사매장에 이사실을 알리고, CBC뉴스에, 이러한 광고를 냈다가 철회시킨, 27건의 리스트와 함께 뉴스보도를 하도록 조치한 것이다. 또한 CBC의 불란서어 래디오 방송에도, 보건성의 인증을 받았다고 선전까지한 제품에 대한 상세한 내용을 모두 제공한 것이다.
보건성 전문가들의 설명에 따르면,Coronavirus Pandemic이 캐나다 전국을 강타하고 있는 틈을 타서, Covid-19을 물리칠수있는 특효약이라는 이제품들이 어떻게 삽시간에 전국적으로 확산됐는지에 대한 상세내용과 리스트를 잘 보여주고 있다고 한다.
예를 들면, Amazon-Canada에서 폭넓은 광고속에서 절찬리에 판매되고있는데, 그제품에 대한 설명에서, 면역시스템, Covid-19예방, 먼지와 기분나쁜 안개, 그리고 Coronavirus를 방어하는 여러 성능이 있어, 몸속의 오염된 지저분한 분비물들을 제거할수 있다는 제품선전이다.
CBC News에 보낸 성명문에서, Amazon은 자동적으로 적정여부를 검사하는 Filter시스템과 실제로 전문가들이 점검한후 약품이 선전하고 있는 Covid-19과 관련하여 특효약이라고 주장했던 제품들을 전부 수거했다고 한다.
"캐나다 보건성에서 우리 Amazon에 신속히, 성능이 확인되지 않은 몇가지의 Coronavirus Pandemic 치료제품이라고 선전하면서 판매하도록 요청해와서 판매를 했었는데, 우리 Amazon에서는 그제보를 받음과 동시에 바로 수거하였음을 알려 드립니다"라고 발표한 것이다.
캐나다 보건성은, e-Bay, 건강식품판매가게, 약국 그리고 인스타그람에 마스크를 판매하고있던 여성에게도 허위광고로 포장된 제품이라는 경고를 보냈는데, 래디오 -캐나다에서도 경고를 받아, 즉시 광고중단했다고 한다.
어떤 회사들은 캐나다인들에게 엉터리 정보를 선전하면서 판매할 의도는 전연없었음을 강조하면서, 캐나다 보건성에서 판매금지조치를 내린 제품에 대해서는 즉시 처리했다고 발표했다.
걱정은, 앞으로 Coronavirus Pandemic이 계속 지금처럼 빠른 속도로 번지면, 이러한 엉터리 제품도 덩달아 시장에서 널리 판매 될텐데.... 우리모두는 정부에서, 보건성에서 발표하는 뉴스에 귀를 곤두세우고, 필요한 조치를 취해야 무사히 버텨낼수 있을것같다. 모두가 조심합시다.
아래에 자세한 뉴스를 보자.
A mushroom spray, oil of oregano and a special hat to kill coronavirus in saliva have all been targeted by Health Canada in its crackdown on misleading and false claims of COVID-19 prevention and cures.
The federal health agency has in recent weeks fielded dozens of complaints from Canadians reporting advertisements for products that claim to prevent, treat or cure the novel coronavirus that's so far killed more than 80,000 people in a global pandemic.
In response, Health Canada sent compliance notices to a number of companies, and provided CBC News with a list of 27 cases where the ads were then "withdrawn," along with details of the advertisements. It also contacted CBC's French-language service Radio-Canada regarding an article about one product that erroneously claimed it had been approved by the agency.
The list shows how wide-ranging misinformation around COVID-19 prevention and treatment has become since the pandemic hit Canada, public health experts say.
"I like the fact that they're going after the range, because we're seeing misinformation and inappropriate marketing absolutely everywhere," University of Alberta professor or health law and policy and pseudoscience critic Tim Caulfield said Tuesday.
"The mere fact that there's all these claims out there shows how desperate people are for answers. But it also shows the ability — which is kind of depressing — of people to exploit the situation to sell unproven products."
Canadian and U.S. health authorities continue to stress that there are no medications or health products approved to treat or cure COVID-19. The best way to avoid getting infected, authorities say, is to wash your hands regularly, avoid touching your face, stay at least two metres from other people and remain at home as much as possible.
The 27 notices were for nine products claiming to prevent or treat the virus; eight related to the sale of masks; four related to household disinfectants or hand sanitizer; two related to respirators; and four others that Health Canada says violate the Food and Drug Act.
의학전문교수 Bernie Garrett씨가 보여주면서, 전부 가짜라고 설명하고 있다.
Claims made on Amazon Canada, for example, included: a mixture of mushrooms that could boost immunity and prevent COVID-19 and a special "anti-dust, anti-fog, anti-coronavirus" hat that could isolate infected saliva.
In a statement to CBC News on Tuesday, the online retail giant said it used both automated filters and human reviewers to remove products with COVID-related claims in their descriptions.
"Health Canada recently alerted us to a small number of products offered by sellers with inaccurate descriptions, which Amazon quickly removed," the company said.
Naturopath claims 'killing effect' of oregano
Two health companies touted oil of oregano.A health food chain in British Columbia advertised its company-made product by saying, according to Health Canada, "Worried about the latest coronavirus? See how oil of oregano can help!"
A naturopathic office in Toronto claimed a specific oregano oil had "the ability to halt virus replication in host cells infected with the human coronavirus," Health Canada said.
"Oreganol P73 has a potent direct killing effect against the human coronavirus," the office said, according to the compliance notice.
Canadian Senator Stan Kutcher, former head of psychiatry at Dalhousie University in Nova Scotia, said the volume of complaints from the public suggests an increasing awareness of "blatantly false" health information that's being spread right now.
"Some of that information can be dangerous," Kutcher said. "If you tell someone to drink [chlorine] bleach — I mean, that is really bad for you. Stick a hair dryer up your nose? I mean, come on. That's the kind of stuff that we've seen out there."
As prolific as the misinformation has become during the pandemic, Kutcher said he hopes it helps educate the public.
"Let's do a better job," Kutcher said. "But, come on, Canadians. We've also got to up our game to become more science literate, more health literate, so we can separate fiction from facts, so we can separate wheat from chaff, and so that we don't get hooked in by these false claims."
Masks, respirators flagged
Health Canada also found several businesses were selling masks and respirators with claims that they were N95-certified when they were not.An N95 certification means that a respirator blocks at least 95 per cent of particles 0.3 microns or larger. It's the standard that health-care workers use to protect themselves against coronavirus.
Canadian Tire received a notice regarding masks advertised as N95 that were actually "regular surgical masks," Health Canada said.
The health agency regulates the production, sale and advertising of masks or respirators claiming medical-level protection.
A spokesperson for Canadian Tire said that in late January, a vendor had "incorrectly labelled" masks that were sold at one store as "N95-certified."
The retail chain stopped selling the masks, which were available for purchase for less than a day, and offered refunds after learning of the problem, she said.
Issues resolved
Those who received notices include an eBay seller, health stores, a pharmacy and a woman selling face masks on her Instagram account. Radio-Canada also received a compliance notice for an article it posted about one of the companies.In some cases, the companies said they had no intention of misinforming the public, and noted whatever problem Health Canada had flagged was quickly resolved.
One Quebec-based company, Thymox, was told to stop advertising that one of its natural disinfectants could kill SARS and similar viruses. A company spokesperson told CBC News it complied with the order and clarified the language on its website.
Since then, Thymox said it had three of its products approved for Health Canada's COVID-19 disinfectant list.
But before that, Radio-Canada reported on the company's increased sales and erroneously included the claim that its products were approved. That report was highlighted by Health Canada as part of its investigation into Thymox, and the agency said it sent a regulatory letter advising Radio-Canada of an article "that was promoting unauthorized claims."
A spokesperson for Radio-Canada, however, said no one has seen the letter or was aware of it, but that the article in question has been corrected.
'COVID opportunism'
Health Canada investigators also identified problems with a door-hanging advertisement, a newsletter, a media release, signs in stores and website ads."It really shows you how misinformation is everywhere, not just on social media," Caulfield said. "They can't go after everyone — this is obviously not a comprehensive list. I kind of look at almost as a symbolic list."
Health Canada said it is preparing to post the compliance order list, and subsequent additions, to its website.
Lorian Hardcastle, a University of Calgary assistant professor who specializes in health regulation, said she expects the list will help educate the public about what's appropriate advertising during the pandemic.
She noted that while some companies may have made claims or sold products mistakenly, she believes the list and other evidence shows some may have been seeking to profit.
"I would probably label it 'COVID opportunism,' and that is where someone sees a niche that they may advertise something that preys on the fear and desperation that a lot of people are experiencing," Hardcastle told CBC News.
To identify possible violations of the Food and Drug Act, the regulator said it monitors websites, works with other agencies, such as the Competition Bureau of Canada, and investigates complaints from the public.
In a statement, a spokesperson said that the department will "use all tools at its disposal to stop these activities," and noted that it's illegal to make false or misleading claims while selling or advertising health products.
Should a compliance notice not be followed voluntarily, companies and individuals may face charges and fines imposed by court.
Hardcastle noted that the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre, police forces and regulatory colleges for physicians, naturopaths and pharmacists have issued warnings in recent weeks about COVID-19 claims, and those bodies have their own mechanisms for enforcement and legal action.
'Explosion' of claims
Health Canada was doing "a reasonable job at cracking down" on COVID-19 claims, Hardcastle said, "given limits on their own enforcement staff.""It seems like these sort of products and ads pop up about as fast as the government can respond to them," Hardcastle said. "[Health Canada] didn't have people in place sort of in anticipation of there being this explosion in these kinds of claims."
She said the health agency could consider adding more staff to investigate complaints and enforce its rules.
"The damage or the concern here is that people may forgo recommended treatments and may instead pursue these kinds of natural remedies," Hardcastle said.
She also noted that the unregulated products may give people a false sense of security, leading them to be lax in following physical distancing and other guidelines.
Health Canada said it will continue to work with retailers to remove misleading advertisements.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/health-canada-compliance-list-1.5525563
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