Cancer Act 1939

Cancer Act 1939
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Date commenced 1939 (1939)
Summary
To make further provision for the treatment of cancer, to authorise the Minister of Health to lend money to the National Radium Trust, to prohibit certain advertisements relating to cancer, and for purposes connected.
Status: In force

The Cancer Act 1939 is an Act of Parliament of the United Kingdom passed in 1939 to make further provision for the treatment of cancer, to authorise the Minister of Health to lend money to the National Radium Trust, to prohibit certain advertisements relating to cancer, and for purposes connected with the matters aforesaid. The Act does not apply in Northern Ireland.

As of December 2014, the sole remaining provision is in respect of advertising to treat or cure cancer, all other provisions having been repealed or subsumed into other legislation.

Advertising

The Act's most notable provision is a clause prohibiting taking any part in publication, except under specified conditions, of advertisements that "offer to treat any person for cancer, or to prescribe any remedy therefor, or to give any advice in connection with the treatment thereof". Prosecutions do take place, but are rare.[1]

The expression “advertisement” includes any notice, circular, label, wrapper or other document, and any announcement made orally or by any means of producing or transmitting sounds.

The Act provides for exceptions in making material available to registered medical and nursing personnel and pharmacists, and for material produced by hospitals and local authorities.

Prosecutions under the Act

According to an answer given in the House of Commons on 12 June 2014[2] there were 21 convictions under the Act between 1984 and 2013, since that date there have been another three.

Convictions include:

References

  1. "Harley Street practitioner claimed he could cure cancer and HIV with lifestyle changes and herbs, court hears". Daily Telegraph. 11 December 2013.
  2. "Cancer: Justice". They Work For You. Retrieved 16 November 2014.
  3. "Man is fined after selling "cancer cure" which he made at home". Chelmsford Weekly News. 15 September 2014. Retrieved 16 November 2014.
  4. De Graaf, Mia (6 May 2014). "Bodybuilder turned Harley Street nutritionist fined for claiming he could cure cancer with diet and fitness techniques". Daily Mail. Retrieved 16 November 2014.
  5. "Trading Standards: cancer cure claims prosecuted". City of Westminster. 23 July 2014. Retrieved 16 November 2014.
  6. "Harley Street practitioner claimed he could cure cancer and HIV with lifestyle changes and herbs, court hears". The Telegraph. 11 December 2013. Retrieved 20 November 2014.
  7. Sweetman, Elizabeth (12 March 2010). "Cancer "healer" to pay thousands - court". Worcester News. Retrieved 16 November 2014.
  8. "Dursley woman pleads guilty over ‘magick’ cancer remedy". Stroud News & Journal. 3 August 2009. Retrieved 16 November 2014.
  9. "Breaston firm fined for illegal cancer claims". Nottingham Post. 9 March 2009. Retrieved 16 November 2014.
  10. "Pill salesman convicted over £500 ‘cancer cure’". Metro. 10 September 2008. Retrieved 16 November 2014.

External links


This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Sunday, February 21, 2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.