69.04.720 - Advertising of cure of certain diseases deemed false.

Advertising of cure of certain diseases deemed false.

The advertisement of a drug or device representing it to have any effect in albuminuria, appendicitis, arteriosclerosis, blood poison, bone disease, Bright's disease, cancer, carbuncles, cholecystitis, diabetes, diphtheria, dropsy, erysipelas, gallstones, heart and vascular diseases, high blood pressure, mastoiditis, measles, meningitis, mumps, nephritis, otitis media, paralysis, pneumonia, poliomyelitis (infantile paralysis), prostate gland disorders, pyelitis, scarlet fever, sexual impotence, sinus infection, smallpox, tuberculosis, tumors, typhoid, uremia, *venereal disease, shall also be deemed to be false; except that no advertisement not in violation of RCW 69.04.710 shall be deemed to be false under this section if it is disseminated only to members of the medical, veterinary, dental, pharmacal, and other legally recognized professions dealing with the healing arts, or appears only in the scientific periodicals of these professions, or is disseminated only for the purpose of public health education by persons not commercially interested, directly or indirectly, in the sale of such drugs or devices: PROVIDED, That whenever the director determines that an advance in medical science has made any type of self-medication safe as to any of the diseases named above, the director shall by regulation authorize the advertisement of drugs having curative or therapeutic effect for such disease, subject to such conditions and restrictions as the director may deem necessary in the interest of public health: PROVIDED FURTHER, That this section shall not be construed as indicating that self-medication for diseases other than those named herein is safe or efficacious.

[1945 c 257 § 90; Rem. Supp. 1945 § 6163-139.]

Notes: *Reviser's note: The term "venereal disease" was changed to "sexually transmitted disease" by 1988 c 206.