NCAHF was a private nonprofit, voluntary health agency that focused upon health misinformation, fraud, and quackery as public health problems. Its positions were based upon the principles of science that underlie consumer protection law. It advocates: (a) adequate disclosure in labeling and other warranties to enable consumers to make truly informed choices; (b) premarketing proof of safety and effectiveness for products and services claimed to prevent, alleviate, or cure any health problem; and, (c) accountability for those who violate the law. This site, which is managed by former long-time NCAHF board member Stephen Barrett, M.D., archives many of NCAHF’s documents.

About NCAHF

• Mission Statement
• Quackery-Related Definitions 
• NCAHF Manifesto
• NCAHF’s History
• NCAHF’s Perspective on Quackery
• Quack Busters’ Leader William Jarvis Dies at Eighty (link to another site)
• NCAHF Webmaster Contact

Combating Health Fraud and Quackery

• Join the Health Fraud Discussion List
• Free Electronic Newsletter (Consumer Health Digest) FEATURE

Publications

• NCAHF Newsletter Archive (1977-2003)
  • SCAHF News: 1977-78
  • CCAHF News: [1979] [1980] [1981] [1982] [1983] [1984]
  • NCAHF News: [1984] [1985] [1986] [1987] [1988] [1989] [1990] [1991] [1992] [1993] [1994] [1995] [1996] [1997] [1998] [1999] [2000] [2001] [2002] [2003]
• Consumer Health Digest Archives [2001] [2002] [2003] [2004] [2005] [2006] [2007] [2008] [2009] [2010] [2011] [2012] [2013] [2014] [2015] [2016] [2017] [2018] [2019] [2020] [2021] [2022] [2023] [2024] UPDATED WEEKLY
• Resource Documents: Index to more than 50 articles

Position Papers and Other Task Force Reports

• Acupuncture (1990)
• Amalgam Fillings (2002)
• Chiropractic (1985)
• Diet and Criminal Behavior (1983)
• Diploma Mills (1986)
• Herbal Remedies (1995)
• Homeopathy (1994)
• Multilevel Marketing of Health Products (2003)
• Naturopathy Fact Sheet (1997)
• White House Commission on Complementary and Alternative Medicine Policy (2002)

Policy Statements

• Chelation Therapy [Text] [PDF]
• Model Veterinary Practice Act (link to another site)

Consumer Information Statements

• Commercial Weight-Loss Programs (1987)
• Faith Healing and Psychic Surgery (1987)
• Multilevel Marketing of Health Products (1993)
• Supplement Abuse (1987)

Occasional Papers by NCAHF Board Members and Others

• Antiquackery Efforts in the United States
• Obituary of John H. Renner, M.D., NCAHF President 1998-2000
• Obituary of Victor Herbert, M.D., NCAHF Board Member 1984-2002 )
• Statements to the White House Commission on Complementary and Alternative Medicine Policy
  • William M. London, EdD, MPH
  • Simeon Margolis, MD, PhD
• Testimony to the Senate Special Committee on Aging
  • Robert S. Baratz, MD, DDS, PhD
  • Timothy N. Gorski, MD, FACOG
• Analysis of Flawed Data on the Incidence of “Unconventional Medicine”
• PBS Broadcast Angers Chiropractors

Legal and Regulatory Matters

• Aromatherapy Company Agrees to Stop False Advertising
• Where to Complain about Health Fraud (link to Quackwatch)

Links to Other Sites

• American Council on Science and Health (ACSH)
• Australian Council Against Health Fraud
• Chirobase (Quackwatch’s skeptical guide to chiropractic history, theories, and current practices)
• Committee for Skeptical Inquiry (formerly CSICOP)
• Current Issues in Alternative Medicine (CINAM)
• Homeowatch (Quackwatch’s skeptical guide to homeopathic history, theories, and practices)
• James Randi Educational Foundation
• MLM Watch (Quackwatch’s guide to multilevel marketing)
• Museum of Questionable Medical Devices
• The Quack-Files
• Quackwatch
• RatbagsDotCom (fighting quackery with humor)
• Skeptical Information Sources
• Skeptics Dictionary (over 700 topics)
• Veterinary Watch
• Other Valuable Sites (many links)