Update on Homeopathy International

Homeopathy International (HINT) have appeared on this blog before. They are of interest because they could be seen to represent the views of more extremist homeopaths.

They seem to have been upset by recent press reporting.

This will be short by the standards of this blog.

Changes
It now has an acting lay Chair Micheal O'Brien after Simon Taffler ended his association with them.. The exact identity of this person is unknown. It also seems that Paul Burnett is no longer a member of the Society of Homeopaths (SoH). 

ASA statement on CEASE therapy
HINT don't have a good grasp on detail or facts. Their "press release" in response to the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) statement on CEASE (discussed here and here) is odd to say the least. 

It gets so much wrong. It's almost as if they didn't read what the ASA said. Much of the misinformation isn't new and is covered by the previous post on HINT. What is more interesting is -

At HINT, we acknowledge that technology has changed the ways in which information is now dispersed around the globe, the systems and thought processes needed to combat the threats to our freedom of speech and the practice of homeopathy need to change too. In response HINT is not content to keep a low profile, it is time for action, and we would love you to be part of that action. 

Right now, there has never been a greater need for what you as a Homeopath offer and no longer can homeopathy sit idly by whilst those with vested interests attempt to prevent freedom of choice for the public and inhibit the legal right of homeopaths to practice. 

In simple terms its time for change and to do that we need all homeopaths to get behind HINT as it dares to change the dynamics of how we promote and protect homeopathy for generations to come.

Homeopaths aren't rushing to join HINT. Ursula Kraus-Harper (discussed here) seems to have but there don't seem to be any others. And their profile is almost non-existent. What do they claim to have done to further this?

• Stopped the Department of Business and Industrial Enterprise (BEIS) funding of a trading standards office established to pursue non-ASA-compliant practitioners. 

• Contributed to the closure of Camden Trading Standards pilot scheme to focus on alternative medicine  

• Engaged with local Trading Standards and National Trading Standards Board in support of practitioners of homeopathy. 

• Formally requested the Competition & Markets Authority (CMA) to investigate ASA and CAP Ltd under the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Reg  

• Apprised the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care on international events and opinion in relation to the practice of homeopathy.  

• Met with the Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology to advocate the use of homeopathy in the treatment of AMR  

• Is represented on eleven All Party Parliamentary Groups  

• Confronted the Royal College of General Practitioners on its lawfully binding obligation to support NHS provision of Homeopathy.  

• Challenged the Chief Medical Officer to withdraw her statements that homeopathy is ‘rubbish’  

• Individually supported and advised HINT members on how to challenge Trading Standards  

• Repeatedly challenged the ASA.  

• Engaged with MHRA to make ensure our advice is accurate and up-to-date

Some of these claims are obviously untrue. Some of them are nonsensical and reveal a deep misunderstanding of how legislation, regulation and public authorities work. A membership body that consistently misrepresents itself and its activities would have to depend on potential members' credulity.

There's also an implication that HINT has among its members those referred to Trading Standards by the ASA. 

Sunday Times reporting on Alan Freestone
Because of potential legal action by Trading Standards against Freestone, no comment is made but here is HINT's response.

Letter to (C)EASE Practitioners
This is quite extraordinary. 

As you may already know, HINT has taken the most robust steps in defending homeopathy, most recently defending CEASE practitioners’ right to practise and patients’ rights to receive treatment. HINT’s complaint over the recent Sunday Times article is currently being investigated by the Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO), and you can read more about this on our website: HINT.org.uk We encourage you also to read in the Correspondence section about many of our past actions in which we have achieved significant success.

Robust steps?

We are delighted that Ursula Kraus-Harper (Uschi) is now a member of HINT, and that as a longtime experienced CEASE practitioner she has agreed to be our specialist advisor in this area. We have consulted with a number of CEASE practitioners, and found that all of them, Uschi included, are uncomfortable with the name.

Specialist advisor? 

You will already be aware that it is illegal under UK law to claim to ‘cure’. Spelling out the original acronym ‘Complete Elimination ….’ poses, in our opinion a significant legal risk, and in the current climate is a red rag to a bull. Even without the acronym spelled out, the name CEASE can itself be easily interpreted as making illegal claims to cure.

It's not illegal to claim to cure per se but without solid substantiation, prosecution is possible and likely to succeed. Linking to the cease-therapy.com website where the acronym is spelled out may be sufficient to be construed as making that kind of claim.

HINT does not have the right to instruct non-member practitioners on what they should do, but strongly recommends that you do not use the name CEASE but change it instead to EASE, which in our opinion could then be safely spelled out as Easing Autistic Spectrum Expression should you so wish. There may also be other ideas for a name change, but EASE is very close to the original name, and therefore easy to explain and be understood as exactly the same treatment as before, but under a legally safe name. 

There was a positive feedback when CEASE practitioners discussed a name change to EASE with Yannick Smits in 2012 and we are concerned that if practitioners don’t now take a legally responsible line, draconian limitations may be enforced.

"Easing Autistic Spectrum Expression" is a clumsy expression that could be read in a number of different ways. Certainly, it's a claim to treat and would still fall foul of advertising regulation and consumer protection legislation. Like with Homeopathic Detox Therapy, re-branding CEASE as EASE doesn't change what it is. It doesn't change that it advocates neglect of autistic children.


UK lay homeopathy has a poor history of taking a "legally responsible line". Its instinctive reaction is to pretend a problem doesn't exist, then try some sort of special pleading often involving the twisting of words. And always, deny any wrong doing or error.

It is possible that HINT sees an opportunity to recruit members who offer CEASE from other homeopathy associations. A questionable strategy at best.