Exposing the harmful pseudoscience of “alternative medicine”
TORONTO, ONTARIO (Marketwire – April 11, 2012) – The Centre for Inquiry (CFI) Canada is lending critical scientific support in a $30 million lawsuit against Shoppers Drug Mart and Boiron Canada. The suit alleges sales of Oscillococcinum, a homeopathic product marketed for flu-like symptoms, violate consumer protection laws. “Oscillococcinum is overpriced sugar,” said Iain Martel, Chair of CFI’s Committee for the Advancement of Scientific Skepticism. “The extreme dilutions used to make it ensure there is not a single molecule left of its supposed medicinal ingredient.”More details about the lawsuit
In March 2012 REO launched a proposed class action against Boiron Canada relating to the marketing of Oscillicoccinum and Oscillicoccinum Children. According to Boiron, Oscillicoccinum is effective in relieving flu symptoms. The Statement of Claim alleges that, among other things, Boiron breached several consumer protection statues in its marketing of Oscillicoccinum as the product contains virtually none of its purported active ingredient namely Anas Barbarie Hepatis et Cordis extractum (namely the extract of the liver and heart of the Barbary Duck). As a result of those alleged breaches the proposed class members have vastly overpaid for what is in essence a sugar pill. The allegations in the Statement of Claim have yet to be proven in Court.More news about this case: Skeptic North: Class Action Lawsuit Filed against Homeopathy Manufacturer Boiron and Shoppers Drug Mart St John’s Telegram: Will lawsuits spell the end of homeopathy? YouTube: Think Again TV Visit the Committee for the Advancement of Scientific Skepticism (CASS) website here.
CFI Okanagan’s past events
Some of CFI-Okanagan’s past events:
July 2013: Breast thermography clinic protest
July 2013: Kids for Inquiry, Lego workshop
July 2013: Café Inquiry, Masculinity & Privilege
July 2013: Penticton CFI gathering
July 2013: Skeptics in the Park
July 2013: Secular Social
July 2013: Round Table, Feminism (included screening of Status Quo?)
June 2013: Vernon CFI Meetup
June 2013: Skeptics in the Park
June 2013: Secular Social
June 2013: Café Inquiry, Dietary Fat
June 2013: Kids for Inquiry, Look at the Sun!
June 2013: KFI at the Fat Cat Festival
June 2013: Round Table, Apocalypse Edition (survival in emergencies)
May 2013: Skeptics in the Park
May 2013: Vernon CFI Meetup
May 2013: Round Table, Morality
May 2013: Secular Social
May 2013: An Evening with Margaret Trudeau, Dr Harriet Hall & Dr Mark Holder
April 2012: Secular Social
April 2013: Vernon CFI Meetup
April 2013: Kids for Inquiry, Croc Talk
April 2013: Round Table, American Foreign Policy
April 2013: Café Inquiry, Kierkegaard’s views on the religious life
April 2013: Sylvia Browne protest in Vernon
March 2013: The Revisionaries film screening
March 2013: Penticton CFI Skeptics in the Pub
March 2013: Vernon CFI Meetup
March 2013: Secular Social
March: Feathered Dinosaurs, Bonebeds, and Climate Change in the Dinosaurian World, David Eberth
March 2013: Kids for Inquiry, Dinos to Birds
March 2013: The Creation-Evolution Controversy, David Eberth
March 2013: CFI Potluck
February 2013: Vernon CFI Meetup
February 2013: Secular Social
February 2013: Kids for Inquiry, Darwin’s Birthday Party
February 2013: Round Table, Food
February 2013: Someone Call A Doctor: Philosophy of Religion is Dying, Ryan Nichols
January 2013: Annual Goals Meeting with Desiree Schell
January 2013: Vernon CFI Meetup
January 2013: Secular Social
January 2013: Kids for Inquiry, The Sun
January 2013: Penticton Skeptics in the Pub
January 2013: Café Inquiry, Don’t Go In There!: Talking about race and racism in the time of the zombie apocalypse, Ian Cromwell
December 2012: Secular Social and Raffle Draw
December 2012: Vernon CFI Meetup
December 2012: Round Table, Religious Trappings for Atheists
November 2012: Vernon CFI Meetup
November 2012: Our first Secular Social!
November 2012: Good Without God: Winter Clothing Drive
November 2012: Café Inquiry, Freedom of Expression
November 2012: Penticton Skeptics in the Pub
November 2012: Round Table, Guns
November 2012: Kids for Inquiry, Evolution
October 2012: Café Inquiry, Addictions
October 2012: Vernon CFI Meet-up
October 2012: Skeptics in the Park, Games and Potluck
October 2012: Kids for Inquiry, Math
October 2012: Round Table, Meat
October 2012: Reproductive Rights (lecture, jointly with Chick Chat)
September 2012: Café Inquiry, The Sun
September 2012: Café Inquiry, Evolutionary Psychology
September 2012: Kids for Inquiry, Astrology
September 2012: Round Table, Abortion
August 2012: Kids for Inquiry, Atoms & Matter
August 2012: Café Inquiry, Cool Math
July 2012: Kids for Inquiry, Psychics & Cold Reading
July 2012: Bowling Fundraiser
June 2012: Kids for Inquiry, UFO Hoaxes
June 2012: Café Inquiry, Humanist Rituals
May 2012: Café Inquiry, Digital Hatred: White Supremacy in the Information Age
April 2012: Should Assisted Suicide be Legal in Canada? (debate)
April 2012: All About Vaccines (mini-conference and charitable fundraiser)
April 2012: Café Inquiry, Dismantling the Gender Binary
March 2012: Stop Sylvia Browne (protest)
February 2012: Darwin Day (lectures)
December 2011: Winter clothing drive for Inn from the Cold and Boys & Girls Club
November 2011: Café Inquiry, Extraterrestrial Contributions to Life on Earth
September 2011: An Evening with James Randi (lecture followed by reception)
September 2011: Café Inquiry, Progressive Christianity in the Canadian Context
Sylvia Browne protest
Last year, we protested Sylvia Browne’s appearance in Kelowna, writing letters to the editor and handing out leaflets regarding her false predictions. This year, we did the same thing when she appeared in Vernon.
Mental Health Week event
Margaret Trudeau was the keynote speaker and in a very entertaining fashion, she delivered her personal story of how she struggled with bipolar disorder. The audience was also treated to a talk by Dr Harriet Hall about the media myths vs the real science regarding Alzheimer’s disease, and a talk by Dr Mark Holder about his research on the science of happiness.
University of Saskatchewan Freethought Alliance
Are you associated with the University of Saskatchewan as a student, employee or alum? If so, we encourage you to join our affiliated campus group called the University of Saskatchewan Freethought Alliance (note that the group is supported, but not operated by CFI Saskatoon). If you are an undergraduate student, you could get even more involved by joining the group’s executive. Over the years, the USFA has done several outreach and informational events:
- Darwin Day (in conjunction with CFI Saskatoon and Saskatoon Skeptics)
- Blasphemy Rights Day
- Carl Sagan Day
- Hug an Atheist (over $1200 raised for Doctors without Borders)
- Trivia nights
- Pub nights
To get involved, join the student group on Facebook or Meetup.
