Upcoming Regulation Impacting Freedom of Speech and CAM Treatments

Our Concerns

Upcoming legislation called the Cancer Advertisement Bill may have severe consequences for the practice of natural healing in Ireland. Our concern is that the wording of the bill is way too broad and may have unforeseen, unintended consequences for the public at large when writing, or researching about health and in particular for the professional life of practitioners of complementary and alternative medicine. We need to have input to this before it becomes law.

The Bill

The Cancer Advertisement Bill proposed by Kate O’Connoll TD, will return to the Dáil on the 4th December 2019. It is already at the Third stage and is currently undergoing pre-legislative scrutiny.

Our concern is that the wording of the bill is way too broad and may have unforeseen, unintended consequences for the professional life of practitioners of complementary and alternative medicine. We need to have input to this before it becomes law.

For your convenience we have outlined here, the sections which are concerning with especially worrying wording in red: 

1.(2) “In this Act references to cancer shall include references to persons suspected to have cancer or to be at risk of getting cancer”

2.(1) No person shall take any part in the publication of any advertisement containing an offer to treat any person or provide any remedy for cancer, or any advice in connection with the treatment of cancer, or which suggests that a medical consultation, diagnosis, treatment or surgical operation is unnecessary for the treatment of cancer.

2.(7) In this section “advertisement” includes any publication made orally or in writing and includes any electronic means of publication including the Internet, social media or other means of social communication.

PDF of Bill

Please see The Bill here. (concerning wording marked in yellow)   

Transcript

This is a link to the written transcript.

How to Contact Your Local TD

For more information follow this link