Hi, I am highly suspicious of - and exasperated by - advertising by peddlers of “anti-bacterial” products (wipes, gels, sprays etc etc). There is an entirely misleading implication in much of the advertising that these products will protect you against COVID, flu etc - all of which are viruses, NOT bacteria.
Additionally, many of these products proudly proclaim they are “alcohol free”. As far as I am aware, alcohol free hygiene products are exactly the products that will fail utterly to protect you against viral (if not bacterial) infection. Why would you sell alcohol free products in the first place? I’m presuming you are making a virtue of omitting the most effective guaranteed anti-viral agent on cost grounds…it costs a bit more to include alcohol in your product, so much more profitable if you don’t put it in. I am unaware of any medical research showing adverse effects of alcohol on human skin in negligible dose exposure situations, so it can’t be that. I do understand that it is perfectly legal to lie to customers who purchase cosmetics, vitamin supplements etc., but why are these anti-bacterial products universally for sale in our pharmacies, supermarkets etc whilst effectively misleading consumers in the midst of a pandemic? The implications for public health are magnitudes greater than those posed by peddling cosmetics toxins or redundant industrial vitamins. What is going on? Why is this permitted?
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You should report every specific example to the TGA. A report I made last year resulted in $10,000s of fines for the perp.
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Do you have any examples of hand sanitisers that claim to kill COVID and are alcohol free? If they claim to be antibacterial or are cosmetic they may well be legal.
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It is not legal to lie. If you know of instances where it is, please let us know.
Exaggeration is accepted if and only if the exaggeration is transparently exaggeration. eg ‘the world’s leading brand’, 'All of Launceston is rushing to buy … ’ etc.
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