Mosquito
The US Federal Trade Commission motto is:
Protecting America’s Consumers. This is an important job, especially when it comes to products whose effectiveness consumers are not in a position to evaluate. Today the
FTC filed a complaint against Viatek Consumer Products Group, Inc. over the marketing of Mosquito Shield Bands. Viatek claims that the bands protect against mosquitos. Mosquitos can transmit life threatening diseases and it is important that people who need protection get a product that works effectively. The Mosquito Shield Bands contain mint and are claimed to create a five foot barrier aroung the wearer. As the
FTC Blog notes, the data do not substantiate the claims being made. The bands don’t stop mosquitos from biting.
People who live in mosquito infested areas can be desperate for relief and may be willing to try anything, no matter how questionable the product may be. It is important for the public and those companies that market effective mosquito repellent products to take action against to-good-to-be-true scams.
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About jjneal
Jonathan Neal is a retired Associate Professor of Entomology at Purdue University and author of the textbook, Living With Insects (2010).
This blog is a forum to communicate about the intersection of insects with people and policy. This is a personal blog.
The opinions and materials posted here are those of the author and are in no way connected with those of my employer.
Living With Insects Blog 