ASA cracks down on Rath
2005-08-29 23:02
Special Report
The South African government has announced a joint venture to reduce the cost of anti-retroviral drugs with a Swiss company.
Cape Town - German Aids dissident and vitamin entrepreneur Dr Matthias Rath's campaign against antiretrovirals has been dealt a blow by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA).
Rath may not advertise - not even in pamphlets - without the approval of the advertising authorities.
However, the Rath Foundation said it would ignore the ruling, which was made public on Monday.
Rath spokesperson Anthony Brink said: "We will not be censored by the ASA or the Treatment Action Campaign or any other interest group of the pharmaceutical industry under any circumstances."
The ASA forbade Rath earlier this year from publishing any more advertisements stating that antiretrovirals were toxic and that people with Aids should rather take vitamin concoctions.
Health workers said several people in Khayelitsha, in particular, stopped taking essential Aids medicine under Rath's influence.
Rath must pay for ASA ads
Despite this ruling, Rath still published advertisements in, among other papers, the Mercury and The Namibian, in which he reiterated his statements.
The Treatment Action Campaign reported Rath to the ASA, which ruled against him at the end of last week.
As a disciplinary measure, Rath must submit all his advertisements to an advisory committee for approval.
Rath also must pay for A4-sized advertisements in The Sowetan, City Vision and The Mercury.
The copy for the ads will be written by the ASA and will contradictRath's allegations about Aids drugs.
Dineo Pooe of the ASA said on Monday: "This punishment was designed to prevent more false claims in his
advertisements."
She said it would be difficult to police Rath's pamphlets and posters, but newspapers would definitely have to toe the line.
TAC spokesperson Nathan Geffen said they welcomed the ASA's action.
- Die Burger