NCAHF Mission Statement

The National Council Against Health Fraud is a nonprofit, tax-exempt voluntary health agency that focuses its attention upon health fraud, misinformation, and quackery as public health problems. It is private, nonpartisan, and nonsectarian. Its members are health professionals, educators, researchers, attorneys, and other concerned citizens. Its officers and board members serve without compensation. This site contains hundreds of articles that can help people evaluate health claims.

Background History

The Council originated in 1977 as the Southern California Council Against Health Fraud, Inc. and became the California Council Against Health Fraud in 1978. The council became national in 1984. It is now incorporated in California and has members in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and several foreign countries. Nearly all of our funding comes from membership dues and individual contributions.

Basic Principles

NCAHF bases its claim to be a consumer organization on its founding principles derived from consumer protection law and the scientific process. Included are the beliefs that:

• Consumer" is not a special class but a role played by all; everyone in a free enterprise society has a stake in maintaining high standards for health products and services.
• Professionals in the health sciences, academia, law and business as well as government agencies share a responsibility to help consumers protect themselves from deception and exploitation in health-related matters.
• The scientific process is essential for discovering truths and validating health claims and information.
• Health products and services should be:
  • proved safe and effective before marketing with proponents bearing the burden of such proof
  • accurately labeled or fully described
  • truthfully advertised.
• As noted in the Consumer Bill of Rights, consumers have:
  • The right to free and informed choice
  • The right to accurate information
  • The right to safety
  • The right to be heard
  • The right to consumer education

Activities and Purposes

NCAHF's activities and purposes include:

• Investigating and evaluating claims made for health products and services.
• Educating consumers, professionals, business people, legislators, law enforcement personnel, organizations and agencies about health fraud, misinformation, and quackery.
• Providing a center for communication between individuals and organizations concerned about health misinformation, fraud, and quackery.
• Supporting sound consumer health laws
• Opposing legislation that undermines consumer rights.
• Encouraging and aiding legal actions against those who violate consumer protection laws.
• Sponsoring a free weekly e-mail newsletter.

Online Donations

In June 2001, we joined Amazon.com's "Honor System," which enables visitors to make small online donations to support sites they like. Money we obtain through this mechanism will support additional research, writing, and legal actions that will protect many people from being misled. If you are already registered with Amazon Books, your name should appear in the box below and the donation process will take only a few seconds. All contributions to NCAHF are tax-deductible for income tax purposes.

Privacy

NCAHF.org collects no electronic or personal data from visitors to our site. All e-mail messages are kept confidential, with one exception: Comments about our web site may be posted without revealing the identity of the sender.

NCAHF Manifesto ||| NCAHF Home Page

This article was revised on June 9, 2001.