[ELI5] How governments allow snake oil “medicine” to sell on TV, light night? Some of these products are dangerous to people, like prostate crap that will do nothing and may prevent the people to survive if diagnosed too late?

Question

[ELI5] How governments allow snake oil “medicine” to sell on TV, light night? Some of these products are dangerous to people, like prostate crap that will do nothing and may prevent the people to survive if diagnosed too late?

In: 1634

Answer 1

A “medical claim” is very, *very* specifically regulated in the US.

If you:

* Call a product a “supplement” and never use the words “medicine” or “drug”,
* Say it “supports” or “promotes” something but never say it *does* anything,
* Include a disclaimer saying “This product has not been evaluated by the FDA. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease”,

…then you can sell anything you want with any marketing strategy you want.

If your product is ever found to be actively harmful, then there’s a chance it will be investigated, and then there’s a chance that you will be fined. The amount of the fine will probably be much less than you made by selling the product.

If your product isn’t actively harmful, then there’s no law to stop you.