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A “healing church” that promoted a solution containing industrial bleach as a cure for coronavirus was fined more than $ 150,000 for multiple allegedly illegal advertising offenses.
On Wednesday, Australia’s drug regulator, Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA), said the Australian chapter of the Church of Health and Healing Genesis II had been fined for selling and promoting a solution containing sodium chlorite, a chemical. used as a bleaching agent and textile disinfectant. .
The Australian church website, MMS Australia, falsely claimed that the solution could treat, cure, prevent and alleviate diseases like Covid-19, HIV and cancer, the TGA said.
It has been revealed that American Genesis II church leader Mark Grenon wrote to Donald Trump a few days before the US President. USA He claimed that the disinfectant could be a cure for the coronavirus.
The letter stated that chlorine dioxide, a powerful bleach used in industrial processes such as textile manufacturing that can have fatal side effects when drunk, is “a wonderful detox that can kill 99 percent of pathogens in the body.” . He added that “it can remove the body of Covid-19.”
In a statement, the TGA said there was no scientifically accepted clinical evidence showing that the solution could cure or alleviate any disease. Using the solution “presents serious health risks and can cause nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and severe dehydration, which in some cases can result in hospitalization,” he said.
The TGA also alleges that MMS Australia implied that a health professional had endorsed the product, and that the website included testimony endorsing the product of someone directly involved in its production, sale, supply, and marketing.
MMS Australia has not removed the products from its website. He has updated the website to say that those seeking miracle cures “should pray to the Lord for healing and guidance.” The website also says that those looking for the chlorine solution and other products urgently could add a $ 5 express shipping coupon to their online shopping basket to jump to the front of the line.
“Our products, their descriptions, and other information published here are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent disease, and any apparent reference to them is inadvertent and pure coincidence,” said MMS Australia. “We do not believe in miraculous cures, but in a healthy, healthy life and good nutrition to keep the temple of our souls, our bodies, clean and free of chemicals and harmful poisons. We also believe in the power of silent contemplation, meditation, and prayer. “
An Australian representative from the church’s MMS Australia Foundation previously told Guardian Australia: “Do you go into the Catholic Church and ask them about the wine or bread they serve in the Eucharist? No, then why doesn’t the world leave us alone? These are our sacraments and we should be free to use them and teach other people to use them. “
The TGA has engaged in a long-running battle to stop false claims about the solution. Four people were taken to the hospital in 2014 in Victoria after ingesting the solution, prompting the TGA to issue a warning that products with high concentrations of sodium chlorite are considered poisonous.
The Victoria Department of Health has also issued warnings. At the time, a department spokesperson said, “This is not like drinking bleach, it is literally drinking bleach.”
Dr. Ken Harvey, an associate professor of public health at Monash University, said he appreciated the fine but that it was not a strong enough deterrent since the product had been causing problems for years.
“Yes, the TGA issued infringement notices, but this is essentially an invitation to pay the fine or go to court and argue your case,” said Harvey. “Meanwhile, the MMS website is still selling the products, with some additional disclaimers, and now they are trying to label it as some kind of religious sacrament.
“What the TGA should do is order that the website be removed and that a safety notice and warning and an apology be placed. While an infringement notice is a good step, it has done nothing to stop the website, which is still promoting and selling it. “- Guardian
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