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State AG Tells Alex Jones To Stop Claiming His Toothpaste Can Cure Coronavirus
By
Sophia Chang
Published Mar 13, 2020
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Jose Luis Magana/AP/Shutterstock
By
Sophia Chang
Published Mar 13, 2020
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New York Attorney General Letitia James has sent conspiracy charlatan Alex Jones a cease-and-desist letter over his claims that a toothpaste he sells contains coronavirus-fighting properties.
Jones made those claims on his March 7th episode of The Alex Jones Show and touted the products available for sale on his website. In addition to the Superblue toothpaste, Jones also claimed the DNA Force Plus supplements and Silversol products would also fight or cure the coronavirus, the letter said.
"The 2019 Novel coronavirus (COVID-19) poses serious consequences to public health, and consumers are concerned as to how they can best protect themselves and their families," James said in the letter dated March 12th. "Your representations may mislead consumers as to the effectiveness of the above-named products in protecting against the current outbreak. Both the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ("CDC") and the World Health Organization ("WHO") have stated there is no specific medicine to prevent or treat this disease."
James has demanded that he immediately "cease and desist from making misleading claims" under the New York consumer protection statues that prohibit fraudulent and deceptive business practices and false advertising.
While Jones's website does feature a disclaimer that the products "are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease," the attorney general noted the "miniscule font size makes it unlikely that potential customers will read or even see the disclaimer."
Jones did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
He has ten business days to respond to the letter, and faces penalties of up to $5,000 for each violation if he doesn't comply.
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alex jones
conspiracy theories
coronavirus
Sophia Chang
Sophia Chang is a former WNYC and Gothamist reporter.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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