Except that they don't. Barring those who are diabetic and take too many sugar pills, they are risking nothing of the sort, for there is no active ingredient in homeopathic remedies.
There's been a lot written on why homeopathy does not work, and why so called proofs are very far from what a scientist would take the word to mean.
Apart from checking out the 1023 campaign itself at www.1023.org.uk I'd suggest you take a look at this article from the Times of 20th January - and in particular at Matt Parker's splendid mathematical demolition of homepathy.
But, this shouldn't just be about efficacy. This is about Boots. In evidence before the Commons Science and Technology Committee, Boots admitted that they had no evidence homeopathy works. They sell the pills because people want to buy them.
Of course, the company is now known as Alliance Boots, but for years was Boots the Chemist - and I guess that's how most of us still think of them. So, at least in part, we trust them. We go to them with our ailments and the Boots brand, to me at least, should imply that what we leave is something that does what it says on the package.
So what should you do?
- Inform yourself. Find out what homeopathic tinctures are - this isn't about herbs and flowers
- Remember, just because it's dressed up in a trusted High Street label doesn't mean it is of value..
- Support the 1023 guys. They are doing a great job. Though given the derivation of 1023 (see their website as above), wouldn't it have been been better to do the whole thing a week later? 6/02 at 1023 am would make any chemistry teacher proud!
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