NAD Refers Claims Made For “Cold Turkey Tea” To FTC For Further Review

New York, New York – Nov. 16, 2009 – The National Advertising Division of the Council of Better Business Bureaus has referred advertising claims made by American Reduction Systems, LLC, for its Cold Turkey Tea dietary supplement product, to the Federal Trade Commission for further review, after the company failed to provide a response to an NAD inquiry.

As a part of its ongoing monitoring program and in conjunction with NAD’s initiative with the Council for Responsible Nutrition designed to expand the review of advertising claims for dietary supplements, NAD requested substantiation for certain print advertising about certain print advertisements disseminated by American Reduction Systems, LLC, for its Cold Turkey Tea dietary supplement product. The advertising, appearing on the Internet, included the following claims:

• “Guaranteed to reduce nicotine withdrawal symptoms by up to 100% or your money back!”
• “…the only true all natural, organic smoking cessation product on the market today.”
• “Our perfect blend of Cold Turkey tea contains alkaloids which specifically bind to the nicotine receptors, thus reducing, and in some cases elimination, nicotine withdrawal symptoms.”  

The advertiser contacted NAD, and despite requesting and being given two extensions of time within which to file its response, failed to do so. 

NAD was disappointed that the advertiser did not participate in the NAD inquiry, particularly in light of the health claims being made. NAD procedures provide that where an advertiser declines to participate in the self-regulatory forum, NAD may refer the matter to the appropriate governmental agency. NAD will therefore refer this matter to the FTC.