THE RECORD
Friday, June 23, 2006
Laser therapy for smoking a fraud
WASHINGTON – Smokers who pay hundreds of dollars to be zapped by lasers to help them quit are victims of fraud, a watchdog group alleged Thursday in seeking a federal crackdown.
Public Citizens petitioned the Food and Drug Administration to halt five companies from promoting low-power laser therapy for smoking cessation. The companies do not have FDA clearance to market the lasers for that purpose, nor is there any scientific evidence they are safe or effective, said Dr. Sidney Wolfe, director of Public Citizen’s Health Research Group.
“There is a prohibition on any kind of marketing or advertising for any unapproved uses of an FDA-regulated product, “ Wolfe said. “It’s just massive fraud.”