Consumer Education Consumer: Any one that uses a product or service Consumer Health: Helping you choose products and services wisely and letting you know where to seek help if needed. Benefits of being a wise consumer: Save time & money & increases your satisfaction Protects your health by avoiding fraudulent products Builds self confidence as you speak up for your rights.

Consumer Education Unit price : The "Unit Price" (or "unit cost") tells you the cost per liter, per kilogram, per pound, etc, of what you want to buy If something is sold in number of items (for example "10 pencils") then the same method can be used: Example: What is best 10 pencils for $4.00, or 6 pencils for $2.70 ? Here is the Unit Cost: $4.00 / 10 = $0.40 per pencil $2.70 / 6 = $0.45 per pencil So the lowest Unit Price (and the best bargain) is 10 pencils for $4.00

Consumer Education Factors that influence your purchasing decisions: 1. Price 2. Convenience 3. Family & Friends 4. Quality 5. Advertising

Consumer Education Product labels: gives important information about what a product contains Comparison shopping: judging the benefits of different products by comparing several factors (ex. Quality, features, cost) Cost & Quality: generic Vs. brand name products. Features: What features are important to you?

Consumer Education Warranty: A written agreement to repair/replace a product or refund your money if the product doesn’t function properly. Safety: Underwriters laboratories (electrical appliances) ANSI (helmets and protective gear) Recommendations: Take advice from those who you trust. Consumer reports….?

Consumer Education Consumer Bill of Rights: John F. Kennedy The right to choose 2. The right to be heard 3. The right to redress – Richard Nixon 1970s 4. The right to be informed 5. The right to safety 6. The right to consumer education

Consumer Education Consumer advocates: people or groups whose sole purpose is to take on consumer issues, Better Business Bureau: Provides general information on products and services. Reliability reports, background information, complaints against…etc. They will also attempt to settle consumer complaints against local business firms

Consumer Education Government agencies: Food and Drug Administration: Ensures all food & food additives are safe (other than meat & poultry) Ensures cosmetics are safe Ensures medicines are safe and properly labeled Regulates advertising of prescription medicines.

Government agencies: Federal Trade Commission: Prevents unfair, false, or deceptive advertising of products and services. Regulates advertising of OTC medicines. Consumer Product Safety Commission: Protects consumers against the manufacture and sale of hazardous products and also to order a recall if necessary. Requires child-resistant containers for oral prescription medicines and aspirin like products.

Government agencies:. The National Health Information Center (NHIC) is a health information referral service. NHIC puts health professionals and consumers who have health questions in touch with those organizations that are best able to provide answers. NHIC was established in 1979National Health Information Center The United States Department of Agriculture : responsible for developing and executing policy on farming, agriculture, and food. Works to assure food safety, and protect natural resourcesfarmingagriculture foodfood safetynatural resources

Government agencies:  The National Council Against Health Fraud is a nonprofit, tax-exempt voluntary health agency focused upon health fraud, misinformation, and quackery as public health problems. This site, archives many NCAHF documents that can help people evaluate health claims.

Fraud/Quackery  The FDA defines health fraud as "the promotion, for profit, of a medical remedy known to be false or unproven."  Quackery: Deliberate misrepresentation of the ability of a substance or device for the prevention or treatment of disease

Why Quacks are successful  Desperation/Hope Many people faced with a serious health problem that doctors cannot solve become desperate enough to try almost anything that arouses hope. Many victims of cancer, arthritis, multiple sclerosis, and AIDS are vulnerable in this way. Some squander their life's savings searching for a "cure.“  Belief in magic Some people are easily taken in by the promise of an easy solution to their problem. Those who buy one fad diet book after another fall into this category.  Lack of suspicion Many people believe that if something is printed or broadcast, it must be true or somehow its publication would not be allowed  Distrust of the medical profession  Fear

 Signs of a Quack Device  It is said to use little-known energies that are undetectable by ordinary scientists.  It has a convoluted yet scientific-sounding name.  It was invented by a "world famous" doctor that is not actually well known.  It has bright lights that serve no apparent purpose.  It has knobs and dials that serve no practical purpose.  It supposedly can cure just about anything. “Panacea”  It is available only through the mail or at special outlets.  You can't find one at a regular doctor's office.  The manufacturer isn't exactly sure how or why it works. The FDA has outlawed it.

 Ways to Spot Quacks  They Claim That Most Americans Are Poorly Nourished  They Say That Most Diseases Are Due to Faulty Diet and Can Be Treated with "Nutritional" Methods.  They Recommend "Supplements" and "Health Foods" for Everyone.  They Say It Is Easy to Lose Weight.  They Promise Quick, Dramatic, Miraculous Results.  They Use Anecdotes and Testimonials to Support Their Claims.  They Claim They Are Being Persecuted by Orthodox Medicine and That Their Work Is Being Suppressed Because It's Controversial.

Why treatments seem to work The disease may have run its natural course Many diseases are cyclical The placebo effect may be responsible Temporary mood improvement can be confused with cure The original diagnosis or prognosis may have been incorrect

Ways to Spot an Internet Bandit Hidden name or address. Don't conduct business with users unless they reveal their name, address, and phone number Un-checkable references. "The subject of hundreds of newspaper articles!" These credentials sound impressive, but notice that you aren't given enough information (dates, newspaper names) to look them up. “This is not a scam." Scammers say this all the time. They might even cite specific laws that "prove" their legality. Don't fall for this trick. A legitimate business doesn't spend time "convincing" you of its honesty.

Ways to Spot an Internet Bandit "Secret" method available "only to a limited number of people." A typical scam ad reaches thousands or millions of users. That's a strange way to reveal a secret! Scammers accept a "limited number" of responses so they can close their business quickly and run away with people's money. Requests for your password. Never reveal your password to anybody. Your system administrator never needs to ask you for it. If somebody asks you to change your password to a known word for "system testing," be immediately suspicious. Unsolicited . If you get from a stranger out of the blue, offering to give or sell you something, treat it with suspicion

Ways to Spot an Internet Bandit Requests for your credit card number. Don't send your credit card number to anybody by . If your mail software supports encryption, this can help protect the number, but it may not be foolproof. Some encryption techniques are better than others. LOTS OF CAPITAL LETTERS and punctuation!!! Be skeptical of ads that shout at you, like "MIRACLE CURE!!!" or "Learn how to make BIG $$$$$ MONEY in NO TIME AT ALL!!!!! Hidden costs. Watch out for ads that shout "it won't cost you a penny to get started" and then quietly charge you an "entrance fee."

Quackery Project 20 pts. Create a product using Play-Doh that would be considered quackery. Make a radio advertisement for your product. In your radio announcement, you should clearly identify 2 “RED FLAG” statements. Your product should be related to one of the commonly targeted areas of medical frauds (ex. Arthritis, Cancer, HIV/AIDS)