Homeopathy protesters to take 'mass overdose'

Hundreds of sceptics will stage a "mass overdose" outside Boots stores around Britain later today to protest against the chain's continuing sale of homeopathic remedies and to argue that such treatments have no scientific basis.

The event ‑ called 10:23 ‑ will see the protesters swallowing the contents of entire bottles of homeopathic pills to illustrate their claims that such remedies "are nothing but sugar pills". It is being co-ordinated by the Merseyside Skeptics Society, a non-profit organisation dedicated to "developing and supporting the sceptical community".

The "overdoses" will take place outside Boots stores in Birmingham, Bristol, Brighton, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Hampshire, Leeds, Leicester, London, Liverpool, Manchester, Oxford and Sheffield. "Sympathy events" will also be held in Canada and Australia.



A spokesman for the event, which will begin at 10.23am, said the group had been moved to act by the evidence given to the Commons science and technology select committee last November.

"Hundreds of people were following the action together on Twitter, and sharing our general disbelief at the circus that was unfolding before our eyes," he said. "To see a homeopathic doctor explaining to MPs how many times a remedy had to be tapped before it would imprint the water was just surreal. And for the spokesman of Boots to explain that they were happy to sell customers pills for which they have no evidence of effectiveness was an insult to many people."

He added: "We believe it is unethical for the government and Boots (as a registered pharmacist) to continue to support what is essentially an 18th century magic ritual."